


Wolfblood

by Maisey2k10



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: AU, Crossover, F/M, Family, Humour, Post-War, Romance, Supernatural - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:00:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 127,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21792643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maisey2k10/pseuds/Maisey2k10
Summary: Hermione Granger, one of the brightest minds of her generation, makes a decision that will ultimately change her future plans. At twenty-three, she finds herself moving to a strange town that’s a hell-mouth for supernatural beings, pregnant, and in way over her head. And the father of her unborn child? The tall, dark and handsome werewolf, Derek Hale. Rated M for violence, language and sexual content. HGxDH pairing! Kind of soulmates! Harry/Ron/Ginny bashing!
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Derek Hale
Comments: 9
Kudos: 164





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own canon events and characters, they belong to J.K Rowling and the creators of Teen Wolf and MTV. This is purely for entertainment purposes and I am not making a profit from the posting of this. This is set after Season 3, and everything from season 4 onwards doesn’t happen; so no deadpool, Beast, Dread Doctors, Wild Hunt or Hunters. Allison still died, Liam will still be appearing, and there is no Kira or Malia. Derek is 22 and Hermione is 23. I’m fudging the timeline a bit, too. 
> 
> This does have a little bit of Harry/Ginny/Ron bashing. 
> 
> Page Count: 12

“You want another?”

Hermione Granger lifted her eyes from the empty glass she was fiddling with and up to the handsome bartender.

“Well, there’s not two of you, so I’m obviously nowhere near drunk enough to forget this rubbish week,” she replied.

He chuckled at her and she pushed her glass over to him and he caught it smoothly, quickly refilling her glass with her choice of poison, double vodka and coke, before pushing it back over to her and she caught it before it tipped over the edge of the counter.

He pulled the cloth that was hanging over his shoulder and picked up a glass, polishing it as he spoke his next words.

“So, what brings you here? You’re a long way from home,” he spoke.

Yes, she supposed her accent was a dead giveaway as to where home was for her.

“I’ve been relocated in my job; I had a meeting with my new boss to iron out the final details before I make the move permanently.”

He raised an eyebrow and picked up another glass.

“Not going to tell me what it is you do?”

“No,” she replied, picking up her glass and downing her drink, before pushing it back over to the blue-eyed, brunette and he refilled her glass silently.

“Okay, I like a little mystery,” he winked at her. “I’m betting I know all of your secrets by the end of the night, I can be very persuasive.”

“There’s a pretty blonde over there that hasn’t taken her eyes off you for the last ten minutes,” she spoke, gesturing with her head to the right and effectively turning his attention away from her and to someone he actually had a chance of charming into his bed that night. 

He turned his head to the right, his mouth twitching into a smile and he turned his eyes back to her.

“Off you go, I’m sure she’ll happily give you her full attention, I’m not in the right frame of mind to do so.” He tilted his head slightly and she sighed, before lifting her hands and shooing him away. “Go on, she may have her eyes on you, but the red-head sat at the booth behind me has his eyes on her.”

He gave her a slight smile and strode off down to the other end of the bar and she sighed in relief, allowing her head to drop and her eyes to fall back down to her glass. She lifted her hand to push back the fallen curls from her face, and then rubbed at her tired eyes. When she pulled her hand back, she caught sight of the small diamond glittering in the low lights of the hotel bar she was currently in.

The silver band was a little too big for her small, thin fingers, but it wasn’t so big that it would fall off. The small round diamond sat in the centre of the band, looking innocent and simple. The ring was a reminder of the love she shared with another, a promise that they would spend the rest of their lives together, and love no one but each other.

What a load of crap that was!

She ran her thumb over the ring that sat on her left ring finger and her eyes looked at it distractedly, painful memories that were still fresh in her mind playing on a loop. She shut her eyes tightly, fighting off the tears. She wasn’t sad or hurt, she was angry, and her hand clenched around her glass tightly before she took a calming, deep breath, reminding herself to count to ten and allowing positive thoughts to fill her mind.

_You’re strong. You’re powerful. You’re Hermione Granger, don’t let him win._

She breathed out slowly, her hand loosened its grip on the glass and her eyes fluttered open, the ring once more filling her vision.

She wasn’t going to be needing it anymore, in all honestly, she didn’t know why she still wore it. She supposed it was habit. She never took it off, so she hadn’t. But now it was time.

She brought her hand away from her glass and up to her ring, and without any hesitation she swiftly pulled it off, feeling a weight being lifted off her shoulders. Feeling a sense of freedom and calm wash over her.

The ring sat in her palm as she lifted her glass to her lips and sipped at her drink, a small smile pulling at her mouth as she stared at the piece of jewellery. To think, that up until a month ago she was going to marry Ronald Weasley in three months time was almost laughable. She just thanked her lucky stars that she’d been able to see him for the arsehole he was before she walked down the aisle and tied herself to him.

When the opportunity for her to transfer to the States came up, she’d been so excited to have the chance to explore new cultures and places, to meet and work with new people, to experience new and exciting challenges, but Ron had put an immediate damper on the situation. But now, it didn’t matter; now she could do whatever she wanted, and she had snapped up the opportunity like Dudley Dursley eating the twins’ pranking candy from the floor.

She’d had the final meeting with the Department Head of the American RCMC Department, and she was set to officially move across the pond in two months time. She’d wanted to start sooner, but she needed to work her notice back in Britain, she needed to sort her affairs back home, ensure her paperwork was all sorted since she would be living in the Muggle World, and she needed to find herself a place to live. Whether or not her move would be permanent she didn’t yet know. She was contracted for three years and once that was over, she had the choice of either staying for good or returning to Britain.

She downed the rest of her drink and then lifted her clutch purse from her lap and onto the counter, with one last look at the ring, she dropped it in, not caring if she would never see it again. A smile pulled at her mouth and she let out a sigh and a little laugh of relief, before pulling out her purse and placing a tip on the bar, underneath the glass for the bartender to collect once he realised she was gone.

She stood from the stool and readjusted her black cocktail dress before picking up her clutch and turning to leave, except she didn’t get the chance to.

She felt eyes on her and a nearby presence that sent her instincts on edge and the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. It wasn’t the feeling of danger, but the feeling of a powerful presence, and in her line of work, she knew that feeling all too well. She felt her hand move to rest on her thigh where her wand was held in the holster attached to her inner thigh, if she needed to, she could retrieve it and defend herself before blinking. Her reflexes had improved massively over the years, what with the war and her current career being just as dangerous.

She steeled her nerves before slowly turning around, her eyes searching the room in the dim lighting of the bar, until they landed on a man sat several seats down from her. He was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome, she realised. With his dark hair spiked up a little at the front, his dark eyes surrounded by darker lashes, and his facial hair short and neatly trimmed, almost appearing as it being stubble that surrounded his mouth, covered his jaw and chin and disappeared into his sideburns. She didn’t really like facial hair, but she admitted that this man suited it; she couldn’t imagine him without it. He wore black dress shoes, grey suit trousers and a white button-down shirt that did nothing to hide his impressive physique, especially since his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, the first two buttons were undone and his black tie was loose.

As soon as he realised she’d caught him staring, he shifted in his seat and raised an eyebrow in challenge. She felt her mouth twitch in amusement.

It wasn’t difficult to imagine what he wanted from her or that she had caught his attention. As it was, she was one of the few young women in the bar that night that didn’t already have a companion or that wasn’t already being chatted up by another man. And that night she actually felt pretty.

She would’ve considered herself to be average but when she dressed up and put a little effort into her appearance, she knew she was a lot prettier than she gave herself credit for. Her hair had finally calmed down, it still being an untameable mass of wild curls, but the frizz was no longer a problem. Her skin was as pale as it had always been, her eyes large and soft and a chocolate brown colour, her nose small and button-like and her lips soft and plump. 

Of course, she was nowhere near Ginny’s striking beauty, or Fleur’s veela beauty, but when she was by herself, she attracted a fair bit of attention and that was one of the problems she’d had with Ron. His jealousy had been ridiculous. He didn’t trust her, when in fact it should’ve been her that shouldn’t have trusted him.

She shook her head of those thoughts, feeling her loose curls tickling her face. That night she’d had a dinner meeting with the RCMC Department Head at the restaurant of the hotel she was staying in, and shortly after she’d retired to the hotel bar alone. She’d dressed up a lot nicer than she usually would’ve, but this hotel was particularly expensive and filled with residents that had money to waste.

Her curls were tied up in a bun but some had broken free of their restraint and framed her heart-shaped face. She wore a black cocktail dress that was fairly simple compared to some of the designs other women were currently wearing. Hers had thin straps, a sweetheart neckline and moulded to her figure as it fell down to her mid-thigh. The skin that was on show was modest and she’d been sure to glamour the scars she’d earned over the years, not being in the mood for the judgemental looks she’d receive from the snobby crowd in the hotel. Her silver strappy heels and matching clutch purse completed the look, and when she’d looked at herself in the mirror, she felt pretty.

Her eyes moved over to the exit that would lead her into the corridor, to the elevator and up to her room on the eighteenth floor, and then back to the man. She nibbled at her lip; she had a decision to make. She could leave and go back to her room, take a relaxing bath and get some sleep before she left for London in the morning, or she could spend the night doing something that would likely be a lot more fun.

She was a free, single woman with no one to answer to but herself. She could make her own decisions without the need for the opinions of anyone else. She could do whatever she wanted, and although it was something she’d never normally do, she found herself needing a bit of attention. After all, that was where the night was sure to lead and she hadn’t had attention such as that for months now and she could do with the stress relief. And if it happened to be with a man that was so handsome she could already feel her body responding to his stare alone, then it wouldn’t hurt.

With her clutch in hand and her heels making little noise against the floor, she made her way over to the man, his gaze never leaving hers as she closed the distance between them. She sat on the stool beside him, carefully hooking her leg over her knee to prevent herself from flashing him, and she rested her clutch purse on her lap and leaned her side against the bar, tilting her head slightly. His gaze still never left hers, even as he lifted his tumbler –whisky, she thought- and took a sip, swirling the remaining liquid in the glass as he brought it back down onto the counter.

“So, would you like to explain why you were staring at me?” She questioned.

If he was surprised by her accent, he didn’t show it.

“What else is a man to do when someone as beautiful as you is sat alone and without a companion?” He spoke, his voice smooth and charming.

“If that is your way of asking if I am involved with another, then my answer would be no, I am not. And you could’ve always approached me and spoken to me, it’s less creepy than getting stared at by a strange man. For all I know, you could be a serial killer and you’ve chosen me as your next victim.”

An amused twinkle filled his eyes as he took another sip from his tumbler.

“Then I suppose it’s a good job I’m not a serial killer and thought it best if you approach me first, as I didn’t wish to make you uncomfortable. It would be such as shame for someone as beautiful as you to fall victim to such a fate,” he replied.

“You’re laying it on thick with the compliments, hoping I’ll be flattered by it?” She questioned.

“No, I’m only stating the obvious; surely you’re used to being complimented on your beauty.”

She snorted at him. “Surprisingly, it doesn’t happen as often as you think it does. I’m complimented on a lot of things, my work ethic, my achievements, but never my appearance.”

“That I don’t believe,” he spoke, deliberately trailing his eyes over her.

“You should, it’s not often I dress as I have this evening,” she shrugged her shoulders. His eyes held hers before he lifted his free hand from the counter and held it out to her.

“Derek,”

She lifted her much small hand and slipped it into his, sharing a gentle, but firm handshake.

“Hermione,” she replied.

“Unusual name,” he commented.

“Not the first time I’ve heard that, most can’t even pronounce it.”

He chuckled at her, before lifting his tumbler to his lips and downing the rest of the alcohol.

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“I’ve think I’ve had enough, thank you, and I think you’re done for the evening, too.” He raised an eyebrow in question. “You and I both know what your intentions are towards me, and to be honest with you, I’ve had a pretty shitty week and I’m hoping you can be the distraction I need for the time being.”

A smirk pulled at his mouth and he turned in his seat to better face her, he leaned forward and his arm brushed against hers which was resting on the counter.

“If you’re looking for a distraction, why did you send the bartender over to the blonde?”

“You’ve been watching me longer than I realised,” she commented. “And let’s just say you were right about your decision to not approach me first. That bartender happened to be getting on my nerves whilst I was trying to sulk in silence.” He chuckled at her. “As for the blonde, she’s more of his type than I am.”

“You’re a beautiful woman, what makes you say that?”

“He couldn’t handle me, and you? Well, it’s your decision if we find out or not.”

She stood from her chair, righted her dress and then walked away, feeling his eyes on her retreating form. She made her way out of the bar and towards the elevator, and once it opened she slipped inside. Since it was empty, she quickly removed her wand and the holster from her thigh and slipped it into her clutch purse, and just as the doors were closing, he slipped inside the elevator and stood at the other side, now wearing a matching grey suit jacket and his hands were stuffed into his trouser pockets. She looked at him silently with a questioning gaze, as he leaned back against the wall with his dark eyes watching her.

“Twenty-second floor,” he answered her unasked question.

“Eighteenth,” she replied, pushing the button for her floor seeing as hers was closer.

They made the journey in silence, never taking their eyes away from their shared intense gaze and when they reached her floor, he followed her to her room. She took the key card from her clutch purse and entered into the room, allowing him to shut the door behind him as she flicked on the lights, the room being dimly lit. She threw her clutch purse onto the couch in her room and slipped off her heels, before walking straight past the massive bed and over to the large windows, looking out to the beautiful view of Washington D.C in its nightlife.

She sighed and brought both hands up to the back of her neck, turning her neck this way and that until it clicked. She caught his reflection in the glass, he had removed his jacket and settled it on the couch, before he moved to stand behind her, not quite touching her but she could feel his presence and hear his breathing.

“It’s been a long day,” she muttered, her eyes fluttering closed when his hands came up to grip her hips and he tugged her back gently until she was flush against him.

She allowed her hands to drop to her sides and a sigh passed through her lips when he bent his head and placed kisses to her neck and shoulder, his tongue darting out to lick at her skin and his facial hair scratched against her deliciously, sending bolts of pleasure to her core. A deep chuckle left him when she sagged back into his body and his grip on her hips tightened.

Not liking him having so much control over her, she turned the tables, spinning in his hold until they were face to face, and now that she’d taken off her heels he was much taller than she was and she was forced to reach up on her tiptoes, her hands wound around the back of his neck and she pulled his head down to hers, her mouth crashing against his.

It was clear she had surprised him with the sudden fiery passion of her kiss, but when she bit at his lip and soothed the sting with her tongue, his hands moved to trail over her body, slipping the thin straps off her shoulders and his hands moving to her back, easily pulling the zip down and exposing her soft skin. She tugged his shirt out of the waistband of his trousers as his tongue entered through her parted lips and she quickly undone the buttons, revealing the expanse of the thick muscle of his torso and her hands greedily ran over his hot skin.

He brought his hands away from her body, allowing his shirt to fall to the ground before his hands moved to her arse, and she hopped up when he hauled her off her feet and pressed her against the cold glass of the window, her legs wrapping around him and locking her ankles at the small of his back. 

She wasn’t wearing a bra beneath her dress and his hand ran the length of her back, her skin erupting into goosebumps and her hips bucked against him when one hand squeezed her arse and the other skimmed the skin of her thigh.

He let out another chuckle until she wound a hand into his hair and tugged, earning a wolf-like growl rumbling from his chest. One of his hands slipped between them, hiked her dress up further before it burrowed under the fabric and without warning, he pushed her underwear aside, ran his fingers through her slick folds and then plunged two fingers into her.

A gasp of surprise and pleasure tore from her as she pulled back from him and her head fell back against the window, as her eyes closed tightly, she breathed heavily and her hand tightened in his hair whilst the other clung to his shoulder, her nails digging into him and leaving marks.

He moved his mouth to her neck, nibbling and suckling at the skin as he turned her into a writhing mess against him. A moan fell from her lips when his thumb found her nub and her walls started to flutter around his fingers. He was muttering against her skin, she couldn’t hear what he was saying or understand it for that matter as it sounded foreign, Spanish she thought.

He knew she was close to the edge and it wasn’t hard to see that, she clung to him tightly; her body shaking in anticipation and her noises of pleasure were getting louder, breathier and happening more often. And just as she was about to be sent hurtling off the edge, he pulled his hand away from her and a whine she was unable to stop left her.

He chuckled deeply, his head still buried against her neck and his stubble-like facial hair still scratching against her skin, driving her crazy.

“I swear to God, I’ll bite you,” she breathed out, a slight growl wrapping around her words.

He pulled back to look at her, a smirk on his face and his dark eyes filled with amusement and heat. “That’s usually my way of threatening someone,” he said amused.

She narrowed her eyes at him and tightened her hand in his hair, deliberately tugging hard on the strands and much to her annoyance, it only seemed to amuse him further.

“Not tonight.”

“We’ll see,”

“I _will_ bite you,” she promised.

His smirk seemed to widen and before he could retort, she pulled his mouth back to hers and silenced him with a fierce kiss, as the hand on his shoulder slipped down his chest and over his rock hard stomach until she reached his trousers. Unable to undo the belt without both hands, she had to bring the other from his hair and she made quick work of pulling the belt from the belt loops and dropping it to the floor with a clatter.

She unzipped his trousers and unfastened the button and slipped her hand beneath his trousers and underwear and wrapped it around his length, squeezing gently. He muttered a curse against her mouth and she smirked, before sweeping her tongue into his mouth and meeting his own.

As she moved her hand over him, she pulled her mouth from his and buried her lips against his neck, nipping and suckling at his skin as she took note of his reactions to certain speeds, motions or pressures used, figuring out how best to work him up. It was her turn to laugh as his hands gripped at her hips tightly, likely to leave bruises, and his forehead dropped to lean against her shoulder, and he turned his head so his nose nuzzled at her throat.

Another growl left him when she pulled his earlobe into her mouth and suckled at it, and then she pulled back from him and dropped her mouth to his shoulder, where she ran her teeth over his skin, before gently sinking them into him.

A louder, more animalistic growl left him and she laughed against his skin as she did it again.

“Told you I’d bite you,” she breathed against his ear.

He muttered something she didn’t understand before she hissed in surprise when he did the same, gently biting at her shoulder. She knew he was close, his breathing was getting heavier and his hips had started moving more erratically. His breath hitched and before he found his relief, Hermione pulled her hand back from him and he let out a noise of warning but she ignored it. He lifted his head from her shoulder and gave her a less than pleased look and she smiled at him innocently.

“It’s not nice to tease, is it?” She said sweetly.

“Lesson learned,” he replied, his eyes darker than she’d seen them.

“Good, because I really will bite you and I’ll be sure to mark you.”

Her words seemed to amuse him more than anything and she was going to say more, but he closed the distance and latched his mouth back onto hers, silencing her and putting her attention elsewhere. She returned her hands to running back over his torso and felt him remove a hand from her arse, before hearing him looking for something in his pocket.

She pulled back from him to see the familiar foil wrapper being pulled from his wallet, which he then dropped to the floor. She took it from him and brought her mouth back to his as she moved her hands to shifting his trousers and underwear down his legs until his length was free from its restraints.

She knew what a condom was, she was still raised in the Muggle World after all, and Ron had once gotten curious and used one, quickly deciding afterwards that he didn’t like it and much preferred the use of a Contraception Charm. She wasted no time in ripping open the wrapper and quickly putting it on him. She didn’t see the point in telling him she was already on contraception; it wouldn’t do any harm to use other protection, too.

“Just do it,” she told him when she felt him fiddling with her underwear, knowing they would get in the way and the only way to get them off would be for him to put her down, but he didn’t seem to want to. In fact, he was a lot stronger than she realised. He’d been holding the majority of her weight for a long time and didn’t even seem the least bit bothered.

He breathed against her neck before she heard the tearing of her underwear and he pulled the ripped fabric from between them and dropped them to the floor. His breath hitched a little when she wrapped her hand around him and pumped her hand up and down, before guiding him towards her centre. He shifted her weight slightly and she bit her lip when she felt him nudge at her entrance before he slipped into her.

“Oh Gods!” She gasped, her head falling back against the window as he stretched her and reached places she didn’t even know she had, and Ron certainly hadn’t either. As if, sex with a stranger was better than sex with the man she’d once loved.

He muttered something against her neck, his grip on her hips was tighter than it had ever been and she was half worried he’d break something, until he took a breath and his grip loosened. When he didn’t move or pull back, she deliberately clenched her walls around him. He grunted in surprise before pulling back from her, locking his gaze on her.

“Message received,” he murmured, before taking her mouth in a consuming kiss as he pulled his hips back and thrust into her slowly, wishing to draw it out.

She caught on to his intentions and she tugged at his hair, squeezed her thighs around him tighter and bit at his lip, effectively breaking his control and he increased his pace. She was so tightly wound that the climb to the top took no time at all and when he hit a particular spot inside of her, her walls clamped around him without warning and a keening whine tore from her throat and was caught in his mouth.

She pulled back from him, her breathing heavy, her mouth parted and her skin flushed pink. She pressed herself against the glass behind her, feeling the coolness helping to cool her skin and he slowed his thrusts, allowing her time to gain her bearings.

“Okay,” she said, lifting her head and looking into his eyes as he raised an eyebrow. “Your turn,” she told him, before pushing away from the window entirely and leaning into him as she pulled him into a kiss.

To her surprise he didn’t topple backwards or stumble under her full weight as he supported her, he barely even moved. He pulled away from the windows and quickly made his way to the bed, lowering her down onto it until her back pressed against the soft sheets and he was hunched over her, his forearms pressed on either side of her head as he kissed her hungrily and her hips moved against his.

Much to her surprise, he quickly brought her to another orgasm when his hand snaked between them to play with her bundle of nerves, and she tore her mouth from his and threw her head back, a high pitched noise leaving her as she raked her nails down his back, a hiss of pain leaving him but it didn’t stop his thrusts as he prolonged the pleasure.

She’d never had two orgasms during sex before; with Ron she was lucky if she even got one. At the beginning of their relationship when they were still teenagers he’d been too excited, but as the years passed by he just wanted to get it over with. This was a new experience for her and she wasn’t sure how to handle it.

She shook her head slightly when she heard him chuckling and it brought her attention back to the handsome man above her.

“I thought I said it was your turn,” she spoke, deliberately digging her nails into the small of his back and he hissed, before chuckling once more.

She brought her hands away from him and gripped at the tie that was still around his neck, and with it, she pulled him down so she could kiss him until it stopped his laughter and a growl left him when she nibbled at his lips, and then at his jaw.

“So that’s why you left it,” he murmured.

She hummed against his skin in response, dragging her teeth across his jaw and down his throat, causing his breath to hitch. She laughed this time, before tugging at the tie once more until he fell on top of her, his body pressing hers into the mattress. With a strength that clearly surprised him, she was able to roll him onto his back and she followed after him, moving to straddle him.

She locked her eyes with his before crossing her arms at the hem of her dress and pulling it up and over her head, dropping it to the floor and leaving her completely bare to his gaze. He must’ve liked what he saw as his eyes flashed a bright blue -that she thought she’d imagined- and they trailed her body hungrily. She brought her hand up to her hair and removed the clip keeping the rest of her wild mane from her face, and it spilled down her back and over her shoulders in an untameable mass of curls until it stopped at her waist.

“It’s a lot longer than it looks,” she shrugged her shoulders when she saw him eyeing her hair strangely.

Before she could blink his hands had lifted to bury in her hair, getting tangled in the soft strands and he pulled her down to kiss him hungrily. She kept her balance as she pressed her elbows on either side of his head and she started to move her hips as he moved beneath her, and every so often, she was sure to deliberately clench her pelvic muscles and every time she did, he would mutter a curse word against her mouth or he would tug at her hair, his hands still buried in the mass of curls.

She was growing tired and she was grateful when he finally found his release, his thrusts becoming erratic and he pulled his mouth from hers and buried his face against her neck as a growl left him and his movements slowed to a stop.

They stayed in their positions until Hermione had gotten her breathing back and then she climbed off him -after disentangling his hands from her hair as he didn’t seem to want to let go- and collapsed beside him, staring up at the ceiling and feeling tired, boneless, and more sated than she had in her entire life.

“So, was I the distraction you needed?” He asked, breaking the silence in the room.

She turned her head to look at him, seeing that he had done the same and their gazes locked.

She felt a smirk pull at her mouth as she answered him. “I don’t know, it’s barely ten o’clock, the night isn’t over.”

A smirk of his own appeared on his face.

~000~000~000~

Hermione was woken by sunlight streaming through the windows of her room and partially bathing the bed and her in its warmth. Her eyes fluttered open before squinting in the light and she groaned in annoyance. A shifting behind her pulled her attention and that was when she was reminded of her actions of the night before, and she felt a blush cover her cheeks as she buried her face in her hands.

She wasn’t a person to have a one night stand, especially with a random stranger she’d just met in a bar, and despite being a little surprised by her own decision making, she found that she wasn’t ashamed by what she’d done. She was a single, free woman who could do whatever she wanted without having to explain herself to anyone. And she didn’t regret what she’d done; she needed the distraction and the relief he brought her and she’d never felt so calm and relaxed in her life. A smile pulled at her mouth and she had to fight back a giddy laugh.

There was a heavyweight over her waist and a hot hand pressed against her stomach, and she carefully turned over in bed to face the man responsible for her good mood. He was laid on his stomach with his face turned to the side facing her, the sheets pooled around his waist leaving his back bare to her gaze and for the first time she noticed the large tattoo that sat in-between his shoulder blades below the back of his neck. It was a strange design of three spirals being joined together in the centre and it was done in black-blue ink. He had one arm hooked over his pillow and the other flung over her waist.

Hermione bit at her lip as her eyes trailed his face; he really was very handsome. Looking over her shoulder at the alarm clock that sat on the bedside table, she knew she didn’t have long before her port key was scheduled to leave and she had to get a move on. With one last look to her handsome bedmate, she was careful to slip from his hold without waking him, which was a lot harder than it looked as he kept trying to pull her back into him.

Not wanting to wake him, she tiptoed through her room, took her wand from her clutch purse and headed into the bathroom, closing the door behind her and putting up a Silencing Charm so the noise of the shower wouldn’t wake him. She would’ve just used a few Cleaning Charms if it had been any other day and she was running late, but she and Derek had been _very_ active the previous night and it would be better if she showered. Her body and muscles ached like they’d never before and she was hoping the heat of the water would ease the aches.

She hopped into the shower and quickly washed and then dried, summoning her regular clothing of trainers, skinny jeans and a t-shirt, before pulling her hair into a ponytail and leaving the bathroom, seeing that he was still asleep and now clutching at her pillow.

She quickly collected her belongings and packed them all away, making sure she hadn’t missed anything and before she left, she gathered Derek’s clothing and set them on the end of the bed, along with his belt and wallet on top of his clothing.

She spotted the notepad and pen on the table and decided to leave him note, which she read over three times.

_Derek,_

_You were the exact distraction I needed. I’d be sure to be out by noon; otherwise, the maid will get a lovely surprise in the form of a half-naked male and I’m sure it’ll just make her day. I found your wallet underneath the couch, everything’s there. Not everyone is as honest as I am; be careful where you leave it._

_Hermione._

Happy with her words, she tore it from the notepad and left it with his clothing, and with one last look at his handsome sleeping face, she grabbed her bag, turned and left out the door, never to see him again.

Or so she thought.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count:10

**Two months later...**

The sounds of chirping birds woke Hermione and her eyes slowly opened as she stretched herself out in her bed, sighing when her back seemed to ‘click’ and she snuggled further into the warmth of her blanket as she stared between the small gap in the curtains and out the window. It seemed that day was going to be cloudy with showers, but she didn’t mind; it reminded her of Britain.

It had been two months since finalising the details of her move from Britain and now she had been in her new home for a week. She was assigned the location of Beacon Hills, a known hell-mouth for supernatural beings, and seeing as most of her time would be spent on the place, she’d decided it would be easier to just move there. She didn’t exactly work for the RCMC Department per se, but she was to report to them if she came across a series of killings and she was to be the one responsible for finding the culprit and obtaining it, if not, killing it.

The job allowed her freedom to continue with her research into magical and supernatural beings, as well as working the hours she wished to and getting paid handsomely for her efforts. And she was her own boss, too. She had no one watching for her to make mistakes, or to follow her around asking for photographs, interviews and autographs. She had no restrictions either, as long as she complied with the laws, she had full control over how she dealt with a situation or case. She just had to remember to turn in her report to the American RCMC Department, so it would be accessible in case it was needed for future reference.

It had taken little time to get her affairs sorted and once she’d said her goodbyes to Harry and The Weasleys, she packed up and moved as soon as she could. She’d found a little rundown cottage in a clearing in the middle of the woods and happily snatched it up, enjoying the fact that it was a fixer-upper, but with the aid of magic she’d done so in only two days, and it had taken her even less time to decorate it.

It had the essentials of a kitchen and living room, a bathroom and it had two bedrooms and she’d cast an Enlargement Charm on the building in order for her to add another two rooms, a potions lab and a library.

In the week that she’d been in Beacon Hills, no strange deaths had occurred and nothing had drawn her attention, so she’d spent most of her time in her cottage, reading and brewing potions, and the rest of it exploring the expanse of woods. She hadn’t really met anyone since her move, but she didn’t think she would with being so far away from the other residents of Beacon Hills. She liked the solidarity; she liked the quiet, but even she needed human interaction, and all she had for company were Crookshanks and Magic, her cat and newly adopted puppy.

Hearing a quiet barking, she peered over the side of the bed and laughed at seeing the little pup sat down with his tail wagging and his floppy ears down on his head. She leaned over and picked up her new pet and settled him on the bed, laughing when he bounded over to Crookshanks who was asleep at the end of her bed. The old, grumpy cat wasn’t impressed at being woken and he hissed at Magic and swiped at him with his paw. Magic only yipped and bowed his back with his tail swishing in the air, wishing to play.

Hermione chuckled and shook her head. “Magic,” she called softly and the little puppy turned and bounded over to her, jumping up onto her stomach and licking at her face.

It had been her first day in Beacon Hills when she’d been driving down the road and almost ran over the little puppy. She’d skidded to a stop and jumped from the car, immediately chasing him through the woods until she caught up to him. She was able to get close enough to him that she could take him back to the car and take him to the vets. She hadn’t seen a collar on him and he’d been dirty, and despite being scared, he had a lovely nature so she was sure he belonged to someone, so she took him to the vets to get him scanned for a microchip.

There she’d met Dr. Deaton, and she immediately took a liking to him. He was kind and friendly and welcomed her to Beacon Hills, engaging her in general conversation as he scanned the puppy for any identification. It turned out that he had been a stray and given his size, weight and that he was alone, the doctor suspected he was the runt of the litter and had fallen behind and gotten lost. Without thought, Hermione named him Magic, had Dr. Deaton give him his shots and had him microchipped in case he got lost again or escaped. She’d taken him home and put him in the bath and fed him, before allowing him to explore his surroundings and meet Crookshanks.

They weren’t quite sure on his breeding; he looked to be a crossbreed and from what they could tell, he seemed to have characteristics of both a golden retriever and a german shepherd. He had the floppy ears and body shape of the retriever, as well as the long fur and tail, but the fur colour was a strange patchwork design of black, brown and gold, with his paws and face being speckled. He had the face of a german shepherd and the long legs of one, too, but his eyes were a mixture between brown and black.

In the week she’d had him, he’d settled in nicely, he’d put on weight and Hermione was convinced he’d already grown taller, too. He was only ten weeks old and already at the height of her knees.

When her stomach rumbled, she gently pushed the excited puppy off her and she pulled back the covers and climbed out of bed.

“I’m hungry, who wants breakfast?” Hermione asked aloud, laughing when Magic dived off the bed headfirst and Crookshanks stretched languidly, before jumping off the bed and following after him.

She fed Crookshanks and Magic first before turning her attention to making her own breakfast, egg on toast and a glass of milk. She sat at her kitchen table and before she’d even taken a bite of her breakfast, a wave of nausea hit her. Her chair skidded across the wooden floor as she darted out of it and to her bathroom, where she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. When finished she flushed the chain and leaned back against the wall as she sat on the floor.

She hated morning sickness, _hated_ it. 

She sighed before pulling herself to her feet and moving over to the sink as she brushed her teeth to remove the awful taste from her mouth. She splashed cold water over her face and then dried it off with a towel, and stared at herself in the mirror.

Who would’ve thought, Hermione Granger pregnant at the age of twenty-three to a man she’d only met once? But she was and there was nothing she could about it. She didn’t have it in her to terminate the pregnancy, especially when she knew the troubles her own parents had had with trying to conceive. She’d been their miracle baby and the reason she was an only child. And once she’d had time to digest the news, she’d grown to love the little life force growing inside of her, and she’d love it even more if it stopped making her throw up every time she wanted to eat.

She’d discovered she was pregnant only three weeks ago. She hadn’t been feeling well and her morning sickness had started really early on in her pregnancy, and after missing her period which was like clockwork, she’d cast the Pregnancy Charm several times, getting a positive result for each test.

She was exactly nine weeks to the day, and it hadn’t been hard to figure it out given that she’d only had sex with two people in her life, and the last had been the stranger she’d met at the bar, Derek.

She hadn’t told anyone she was pregnant, not even Harry, and she hadn’t been to see a healer either, not trusting that her confidential information wouldn’t be sold to the press. It had happened before. At the time she’d been digesting the news herself and she also didn’t think it was anyone’s business. She knew how judgemental the Wizarding World was on babies that were conceived before marriage, and she couldn’t handle Molly Weasley’s screeching. She was still sore over her breakup with Ron and she didn’t want to give her another reason to hate her.

And before she told anyone else, she had to decide whether to tell the father of her child or not. She’d known it would be difficult to find him, giving that she only knew his first name and what he looked like, but The Ministry had a lot of resources that muggles didn’t, and as it was, she believed she had a way to narrow down the search.

The days that followed her sleeping with Derek, she’d been unable to stop thinking about him, he was always in her thoughts and she found it hard to concentrate, he really had been a distraction. Over those days, pieces started slotting into place, certain things about him that she’d noticed but hadn’t thought about until it became relevant.

His presence; it wasn’t that of a muggle nor that of a wizard, it was something else. Something powerful and animalistic. He was strong; he’d held her weight for Merlin knows how long and hadn’t once shown any sign of discomfort and he had left bruises on her. His scent; he smelled familiar, underneath the cologne he wore she’d caught the scent of trees, fresh air and grass, all things found in nature. His body temperature had been hotter than a regular human’s, too. His eyes had flashed a different colour, she’s thought she’d imagined it, but then she realised she hadn’t, she really had seen it happen and she suspected it was the reason he’d hid his eyes from her once he’d found his relief, and he’d done so every time after, too. And he growled, too, but not just a growl, a growl that she’d link to a wolf. And then everything had fallen into place.

He was a werewolf.

She was surprised it had taken her a few days to figure it out since she was able to spot a werewolf with her eyes closed, but then she realised something else. Not only did he not have a magical aura surrounding him, his eyes hadn’t flashed amber like a magical werewolf, or a werewolf bitten by a magical, which made him a supernatural werewolf. And that had been why it had taken her so long for her mind to put the pieces together. She had only come into contact with three supernatural werewolves in her life, one of them being Derek. She wasn’t as familiar with them.

And whilst it wasn’t hereditary for a magical werewolf, it was for a supernatural werewolf, which meant their child would not only be a witch or wizard, but likely a werewolf, too. And that had been the final factor in deciding to track him down and tell him. Not only did he deserve to know, but she had no idea how to raise a supernatural werewolf, nor a magical one for that matter.

Having his name, knowing what he looked like and knowing that he was a supernatural werewolf, as soon as she’d landed in America she’d headed straight over to The Ministry in Washington, D.C and had them pull the files of every supernatural werewolf named Derek.

Unsurprisingly there’d been more than a few names on the list, and none of them had photos in their files for security reasons, so she had to trust her instincts, and when she stumbled upon the name Derek Hale, she just _knew_ it was him. And what made it all the more strange was that he lived in Beacon Hills, too. It was almost as if it were fate. What were the chances that she sleeps with a stranger and falls pregnant with his child, only to move to the town where he lived? After all she’d seen over the years, she admitted to herself that there were higher powers in the world, and so why had this happened? How had she fallen pregnant when she’d been on the Contraception Potion _and_ they’d used a condom?

She shook her head, pulling herself from her thoughts.

After allowing herself a week to settle in and prepare to see him again, today was the day she was going to search for him. All she had was a last known address and it happened to be in the woods, too, approximately three miles north of her cottage.

With a final look in the mirror, she turned and left the bathroom, heading back to the kitchen where the baby finally let her eat something. She cleared away her things before leaving to dress for the day, slipping on a pair of black skinny jeans with pink hiking boots; she wore a white thick hooded jumper and a warm coat over the top, and pulled her hair back into a braid, letting it rest over her left shoulder.

She grabbed her backpack and put the file she had on Derek Hale into it, along with a bottle of water, some snack foods that hopefully wouldn’t upset her stomach, along with a map of the area. With her wand up her sleeve and backpack hooked over her shoulder, she left out the door with a scratch on the head to her pets.

~000~000~000~

It was well after lunch and hours had gone by since she’d left the cottage, and in that time frame, she’d not only fallen over twice and muddied up her hands and jeans, she’d gotten lost. And after hours of trying to follow the map, she’d given up, stuffed it back into her backpack with an angry huff and then took her wand from her sleeve, muttering a Direction Charm that would take her to where she needed to be.

As she hiked through the woods, she’d removed her coat and put that into her backpack, too, the grey clouds having disappeared and being replaced by sun and it being a lot warmer than it had been earlier that morning.

She was growing tired and knew that if she didn’t find the house soon, she was going to have to apparate back to the cottage and try again tomorrow, but she really didn’t want to. She didn’t want to drag it out any longer.

She tripped over some fallen twigs and stumbled into a tree, catching herself before she smacked headfirst into it. She grumbled to herself before pushing away and when she looked up, she caught sight of a break in the trees, a clearing.

Feeling hopeful she continued in her steps, only for a frown to pull at her face when the large house came into her view, only it wasn’t what she was expecting. This house was clearly unoccupied and looked to have been burnt down at some point in the past. She could see parts of the house missing, parts of it charred black and the windows boarded up.

She moved closer until she was stood at the door and she brought her hand up to the handle, twisting it and seeing that it was open. The door swung open with a creak and she stepped inside, seeing that the staircase to the next floor was completely intact, but looked old, and she moved to the left, seeing that whilst no one had obviously been there in a while, there was still old furniture in the room. A dining table, a couch and a coffee table. She continued to explore the ground floor, not trusting the stairs and she saw that most of the damage had been done to the back of the house.

She couldn’t even begin to imagine what had happened to the house and its occupants, but she didn’t get a good feeling. The house, it felt sad and angry and painful. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to know what happened. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been there, but when she heard footsteps and the door closing, her heart jumped into her throat and fear flooded her.

She wasn’t normally so worried, but now it wasn’t just her, there was another life she had to protect and it was inside of her. Her hand automatically came to rest protectively against her stomach and the other gripped her wand tightly. Quietly, she peeked her head around the wall she was pressed against and seeing the shadow retreating in the opposite direction, she quickly darted around the corner, through the living room and towards the door, only she didn’t make it.

She let out a scream of surprise and terror when someone stepped out in front of her and grabbed her arm before it cut off when she noticed it was Derek Hale. She barely stopped herself from hexing him.

“Damn it, Derek! You scared the bloody hell out of me!” She snapped, her heart beating so fast and loud she could hear it and she took several deep breaths to calm herself.

She lifted her eyes to his, seeing that he was looking at her strangely; as if he knew her but couldn’t place where he knew her from.

“Oh honestly, how many other British women have you met in the last few months?” She questioned, pulling her arm free of him and turning her back to him as she moved to sit on the stairs, slipping her wand back up her sleeve and out of sight.

“Hermione?” He questioned, sounding surprised.

“We got there in the end,” she sighed, pushing a loose curl out of her face and behind her ear. She slipped off her backpack and placed it on the ground beside her feet and she crossed her arms over her lap.

“I didn’t recognise you,” he commented, seeming to relax a little more.

“Is that because of our one night stand and you have a shitty memory? Or is because of the way I’m dressed?”

“I’ve got a very good memory,” he frowned slightly. “You just look different.”

“I told you, it’s not often I receive compliments on my appearance when I’m in my everyday clothes and not dolled up,” she shrugged. “Especially when I’m clumsy as hell and I’ve fallen over several times,” she said, gesturing to the muddy and dirty knees of her jeans.

“You’re still beautiful,” he replied. “Just more natural this way.”

She raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. He moved to lean back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. Hermione’s memories of him hadn’t done him justice. He was as handsome as she remembered him, and he wore blue jeans, white trainers and a grey t-shirt that moulded to his frame, and a black leather jacket completed the look.

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

“That’s a long story,” she sighed, pushing another curl back from her face and huffing in annoyance when it bounced right back into place, and his mouth pulled into an amused smile. “I was looking for you, and this is the last known address I was able to get for you.”

“As you can see, I no longer live here and haven’t for years, and I’m here because you tripped the alarm when you opened the door. How’d you find me?”

“I had some help from some colleagues. Despite knowing very little about you, it was enough to find a last known address. I can’t tell you any more than that until I know I can trust you. I can get into a lot of trouble should I reveal anything else.”

She knew he was curious and he took a step forward.

“Why were you looking for me?”

“This is going to be an awkward conversion,” she muttered, dropping her face into her hands.

“Why?”

She sighed before lifting her head and her eyes locked on his before she took a breath and steeled herself for his reaction.

“Two reasons actually, and first is that I know who you are.”

“Meaning?” He questioned with a raised eyebrow and he took another step towards her.

“Werewolf.”

His entire body stiffened and his breathing stopped, his hands clenched into tight fists as his face suddenly became cold and emotionless, surprising her.

“Are you a hunter?”

The question took her by surprise and she blinked at him dumbly, before she burst out laughing, her laughter both annoying him and surprising him.

“Bloody hell, Derek, I’ve been called many things over the years, but never a hunter.” She shook her head, her laughter dying down into chuckles. “No, I’m not a hunter.” He eyed her distrustfully. “I’m not a hunter, you could say I’m the opposite, or I used to be before I transferred from London. My job back in Britain was to protect and maintain the identities of all supernatural beings such as yourself. My colleagues and I ensured that supernatural beings were kept hidden from regular human beings and that they were able to live their lives peacefully. We have a ninety-seven percent rate of success, unfortunately, some break the rules we have in place for their safety and they harmed others, and therefore they lose our protection and they’re found by hunters.”

He blinked slowly, a thoughtful look crossing his face.

“I have no problem with those like you, I’ve known of your existence since a child and I’ve championed for the rights of those that are different. I was a pain in the arse as a child, even those that I wanted to help found me annoying,” she said, a fond smile crossing her face as she remembered Remus and the house-elves. “And since I’ve known since a child and I’ve been around those like you since I was a child, I can spot a werewolf with my eyes closed. I admit, I didn’t realise what you were until a few days after when all the information seemed to have settled into my brain.”

“Information?” He asked, looking to once more relax when he realised she wasn’t a danger to him.

“Your strength, your body temperature, I saw your eyes flash blue and you were careful to hide your eyes from me, and I know you were listening in to my conversation with the bartender, otherwise you wouldn’t have known that I sent him away. Your growls were too much like an actual wolf’s and you smell different.”

“Excuse me?” He said with a raised eyebrow.

“I didn’t say you smelt bad, just different,” she rolled her eyes. “Underneath that cologne you wear, I can smell nature. Like trees and grass and flowers and fresh air,” she shrugged. “Once I figured out you were a werewolf and I had your first name, it wasn’t exactly hard to find you in the records.”

“I’m in some system?” He frowned.

“Yes, all supernatural beings around the world are, so I know about Scott McCall and Lydia Martin, too, and they’re known acquaintances of yours. It’s mainly for your safety and so we have a general idea of where you are, if we need to send an agent out to make sure you’re not in danger we need to have a general location for you and they’d track you to your current positioning, which is why I was given this address. We don’t know your current residence of living. And they don’t keep identification photographs either, which just makes things twice as difficult. Do you have any idea how many werewolves there are named Derek in America? Do you?” He shook his head. “One hundred and sixty-eight.”

He looked surprised by the revelation before he shook his head. “Alright, you’re not a hunter, but a protector of the supernatural, but what are you doing _here_? I can’t imagine you going to the trouble of finding me just to tell me you know who I am.”

“Which brings us to our second reason for my being here, and the hardest to tell you,” she sighed.

“We don’t have all day,” he spoke, crossing his arms over his chest.

She opened her mouth to tell him, but she couldn’t do it, the words just wouldn’t leave her. She growled in annoyance and let her head fall forward until it pressed against her knees and she was hunched over herself. She heard his footsteps and then felt his presence as he crouched down in front of her.

“It can’t be that bad.”

“That depends on how you take the news,” she replied, her voice muffled.

“Just tell me.”

She sighed before lifting her head up and she opened her mouth to speak, only a wave of nausea suddenly washed over and she clamped a hand over her mouth and nose, hoping that by cutting off her sense of smell, the nausea would pass.

“What’s that smell?” She grimaced, her voice muffled by her hand.

“Smell?”

“What are you wearing? It’s coming from you.”

He frowned. “The same cologne I wore when I met you, and you certainly didn’t complain then.”

“Well, now it’s disgusting.”

He eyed her strangely as she slowly removed her hand from her face after feeling the nausea pass, but before she could sigh in relief, it came back tenfold and she wasn’t going to be able to stop it.

She clamped a hand over her mouth once more and stood from the stairs, darting around his confused form and out of the house and over to a tree which she leaned against as she emptied the contents of her stomach on the ground.

She heard the leaves and twigs snapping beneath his weight as he approached her, but she stopped him from coming any further by holding out her hand.

“Please don’t come any closer, the smell’s knocking me sick,” she groaned, before throwing up once more. She looked up from the ground and over her shoulder, seeing him shuffling on his feet awkwardly and looking at her confused. “Will you get me my backpack, please?” She asked.

He nodded and disappeared into the house, quickly returning with what she asked for. She opened it up and pulled out a bottle of water which she swilled her mouth with, she then pulled out some wet wipes and wiped her mouth and face, before pulling out a pack of mints and slipping a couple into her mouth. After putting everything back into her backpack, she covered the pile of sick with leaves and twigs, and then moved back over to the house, sitting on the small brick wall that surrounded it and he stood in front of her.

“What just happened?”

“I don’t know why they call it morning sickness when it happens at any bloody time of the day,” she grumbled.

“Morning sickness?” He questioned with a confused frown.

She lifted her gaze to his, and suddenly the pieces slipped into place. His eyes widened to the point she thought they might actually fall out of his head, his mouth dropped open and he stumbled back slightly before catching himself.

“You’re pregnant?” He whispered.

“Yes, I’m pregnant.”

He fell silent as his eyes moved to the ground, and she thought he’d fallen into a state of shock as he didn’t speak or move for almost ten minutes, but she gave him time. She’d actually fainted when she’d learned the news, in comparison he was doing better than she had.

“How do you know it’s mine?” He rushed out. She glared at him murderously and he winced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that... just...”

“I’m one hundred percent positive that the baby I’m carrying is yours. I may have given off the impression that I’m trollop...”

“A what?” He cut her off.

“A whore, slut, slag, strumpet, whatever you want to call it, but I assure you I’m not.”

“I didn’t think that, I don’t think that,” he corrected quickly.

“I’ve slept with two men in my life, my previous boyfriend who I was with for almost five years, and now you. No one else. I’m nine weeks along to this day, which makes you the father.” He ran his hands through his hair and started pacing. “This is why I found you, I thought it only right that I do everything in my power to find you and let you know that in eight months time you’re going to have a child born into the world. Whether you want to be in their life is up to you, I can’t force you either way and I’m not going to. You need to make that decision yourself. If you decide that you wish to be in our baby’s life, then we’ll figure this out together, if not, then I’ll raise it by myself and I would never ask anything of you.”

He stared at her, speechless.

“I know I’ve unloaded a lot on you, so I’ll leave you alone so you can digest all of this and make your decision. When you’re ready to talk, I’ll listen.” She picked up her backpack and threw it over her shoulder and stood from the wall. “So, I’ll see you later.”

She walked past him and off into the distance.

“Wait!” He called. She stopped in her steps and turned to face him. “How will I contact you?”

A smile pulled at her mouth. “I found you; it’s your turn to find me.”

“That’ll be impossible,” he frowned.

Her smile widened. “No, it won’t, you’re a werewolf, use your sense of smell to find me. I won’t be far away.” She turned to leave but stopped once more. “By the way, you’ve taken the news remarkably well.” He looked at her disbelievingly and she chuckled. “You have and certainly better than I did; I fainted,” she shrugged her shoulders, before walking off and once she was clear of him, she pulled her wand, turned on her heel and apparated back to the cottage.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 10

It had been four days since she’d told Derek that he was the father of her child, and in those four days she hadn’t heard from him or seen him, but she didn’t let it bother her; she knew she’d given him a lot to think about and he needed time to digest the news. If it got to the point where weeks had passed and he hadn’t found her, then she’d assume he didn’t want anything to do with the baby and she would accept his decision and move on in her life.

Since that day, she’d taken to hiking through the woods a little more than she usually would, making sure to spread her scent so he’d be able to find her and eventually it would lead to her cottage; there was no harm in making things easier for him.

It was on the fourth day that it was just after lunch and she was making her way back to her cottage, after all, she had an appointment at the animal clinic with Magic. Dr. Deaton wanted do a check up on him and ensure he was putting on weight and that he hadn’t missed any symptoms of any underlying health issues.

She wasn’t far from her cottage when she stumbled upon a sight that surprised her; a beautiful snowy owl that was huddled on the ground and against a tree trunk. Given the time of day, she knew it to be odd for a wild owl to be out in the open as they were nocturnal animals, and given the size, she suspected it wasn’t yet a fully grown adult. She slowly approached it and got down onto her knees, and she knew the only reason it didn’t fly away from her was that it looked to have a broken wing and it had blood on its face and legs, likely having been attacked by an animal, probably a cat.

She slowly reached her hand out and the little owl tried to scramble away from her in fear.

“It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you,” she said softly, and she allowed her hand to hover in front of its face, not caring if it bit her. She’d received many bites from aggressive owls over the years, another wouldn’t kill her. 

The owl shifted its head forward cautiously before it pecked at her finger and a smile pulled at her face. She knew the owl would recognise her magical aura, it would recognise her as being a witch as all owls were able to do, whether they were in the Wizarding World or not. Owls were drawn to wizarding folk and for that reason, she was able to gently pick up the owl and she sat it on her arm, cradling it against her stomach so it couldn’t fall off.

It let out a hoot of pain and she apologised before carefully but quickly making her way back to her cottage, brushing past the over-excited puppy that greeted her and she set the owl on the table before retrieving a bowl of water and some pieces of chicken. She was glad to see the owl was eating, and she was sure it was a he, and she left him on the table alone and gathered the dog lead which she clipped to Magic’s collar, before finding a box and stuffing it with a blanket to make it comfortable for her new friend.

She didn’t bother worrying about Crookshanks attacking him, owls didn’t bother him, it was rats he hated and Hermione supported that decision fully. Not that it mattered, he hadn’t moved from his place curled up on the rug in front of the fireplace.

She was able to settle the owl enough to put him in the box, and then she changed out of her muddy clothes and made her way out of the door and to her car, which was hidden by the side of the road with magic. She apparated to the car and put Magic in the back seat and the box on the front seat, and with a few charms to keep them both in place, she made her way to the animal clinic.

When she arrived it wasn’t busy but she didn’t expect anything else, after all, it was a Saturday afternoon. She held the box under her arm and the excited puppy dragged her over to the door, which she pushed open with her shoulder, and they stepped inside, seeing the waiting room and reception desk empty.

She placed the box on the ground and pressed the bell on the desk to alert someone to her presence, and soon after a young man entered from the back room and came to stand at the desk.

She knew instantly he was supernatural. He gave off the same aura Derek did, only it was more powerful, powerful like an Alpha, and she’d met several over the years. This young man still looked to be a teenager; she’d say seventeen, maybe eighteen. He had brown eyes and brown hair that spiked up at the front, with a very distinct jawline and tanned skin. He wore a grey jumper and blue jeans, and he gave her a friendly smile.

“Can I help you?” He asked politely.

“Hi, I’m Hermione Granger, I have an appointment with Dr. Deaton for Magic,” she replied, giving him a friendly smile in return.

“Oh, Deaton mentioned you, you moved here recently, right?.”

“Last week,” she confirmed.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Scott, Scott McCall,” he spoke, lifting his hand to shake hers in greeting.

Of course, she knew who he was; he just hadn’t been what she was expecting. After all, he was a True Alpha and they were incredibly rare within the supernatural werewolf communities. And the fact that he was still a teenager was surprising.

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” she replied, pulling her hand back from him.

“Well, Deaton’s just taking a personal call but we’ll get you into the examination room whilst we wait.”

He opened the gate for her and she picked up the box and followed after him, and when they entered the examination room, Dr. Deaton stepped in through the back door, giving her a smile of greeting. His dark skin contrasted against the white lab coat he wore, his goatee was neatly trimmed and his head bald. His dark eyes landed on her puppy and he shook his head in amusement, before pulling off his lab coat and hanging it up on the back of the door, leaving him in a black long-sleeved t-shirt and black pants.

“It’s nice to see you again, Hermione,” he said kindly, before bending to pet the excited puppy that jumped up at him.

“And you, Doctor,” she replied.

“What do we have here?” He asked, gesturing to the box under her arm as he stood.

He took Magic’s lead from her and with all gates and doors closed, he dropped it to the ground, allowing him to run around and explore as she put the box on the table.

“I found him in the woods about an hour ago,” she answered, opening the box lid and both Scott and Dr. Deaton took a look inside, pulling back to look at her in surprise.

“How’d you manage to catch it?” Scott asked her curiously.

“He’s injured, from what I can tell he’s got a broken wing which made it difficult for him to escape. I suspect it was probably a cat,” she explained.

She reached into the box and carefully picked the little owl up so he sat perched on her hand. She moved the box out of the way before gently pushing the owl off her hand so he hopped down onto the table and she stepped back, allowing the doctor to do his job.

“I think you’re right,” Dr. Deaton said, “The wounds look consistent with a cat bite,” he said, his body bent over, his head level with the owl’s body and his eyes looking at the leg.

He moved his hands forward so he could examine the wing, but the owl freaked out and started hooting and squawking, trying to peck and bite him and fly off, but he couldn’t.

“Shh, it’s alright,” Hermione said softly, lifting her hand to pet the owl’s head and he calmed considerably, whilst they both stared at her in surprise when the owl pecked her finger gently and rubbed its head against her hand affectionately.

“How’d you do that?” Scott asked amazed.

She smiled at him. “I’ve been around owls most of my life,” she shrugged. “Do you want me to distract him so you can examine him?” She asked the doctor and he nodded gratefully.

With Hermione’s attention on the owl and making sure to keep him distracted, Dr. Deaton was able to confirm that he had a broken wing, and before he could grab something to sedate the little bird, it hobbled onto Hermione’s hand and she chuckled at him, before lifting him to her shoulder and he perched there, rubbing himself against her neck. They both stared in surprise at the action.

“Well, maybe we should see to Magic first,” the doctor suggested, and they agreed with him.

It took a little while to catch the excited puppy as he kept darting about the room and avoiding their attempts to catch him, but they’d eventually managed to get him on the table.

“He’s so friendly,” Scott chuckled, as the puppy jumped up at him, resting his paws on his chest and licking at his face, whilst the doctor checked over his back legs and paws. “He was a stray?”

“Yes, I found him my first day here, I almost ran him over and I chased him into the woods,” she nodded.

“Well, as far as I’m concerned, Magic’s perfectly healthy and he’s putting on weight quite quickly,” he commented, sounding surprised and Hermione smiled innocently, she couldn’t tell him that she’d been slipping Vitamin and Nutrition Potions into Magic’s food, now could she? 

“I’m glad to hear that,” she replied, laughing when the puppy spun to face her and he rolled onto his back, wanting a belly rub, which she happily gave him. “Another checkup?”

He nodded. “Bring him back in three months time unless he needs to be seen to sooner. If the check up’s still clear, I’d like to see him every six months as usual.”

“Alright, thank you, Doctor,” she smiled.

All of them turned their attention towards the waiting room when they heard a bell ringing, and Scott left to see who it was. Hermione and the doctor returned to their discussion until a presence in the room drew her attention, and she didn’t need to look to know who it was.

“You’re a difficult woman to find.” 

A smile pulled at her mouth and she turned her head to see Derek stood by the door, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest, and she caught the looks of curiosity Scott and Dr. Deaton shared.

“I’m not,” she replied amused. “I could’ve very well returned to Britain; then you would’ve had your work cut out for you.”

His mouth twitched in amusement before he raised an eyebrow and gestured to the owl still perched on her shoulder.

“Long story,” she carefully shrugged, before turning her attention back to the doctor.

She took Magic from the table and put him on the floor and made sure to have hold of his lead so he couldn’t run off, and then she lifted her hand to her shoulder, the little owl hobbling onto it obediently as she placed it back on the table and Scott retrieved a sedative for the doctor.

“Do you mind if I visit him on Monday?”

He smiled at him. “Of course not, he seems to be fond of you,” he smiled, as she distracted the owl and he put the sedative into his system, with him falling asleep not long after.

“I’ll leave you to it then,” she spoke, stepping back from the table and smiling at them both before she turned and left the room, feeling Derek following after her.

“He yours?” He asked, looking down at the yipping puppy as they stepped out of the building. She bent down and scooped him up into her arms and she laughed when he happily licked her face.

“Yes, he’s called Magic.”

“How’d you get him through quarantine so fast?”

“I didn’t, I didn’t bring him with me from Britain. I almost ran him over last week, when I found out he was a stray I adopted him,” she shrugged, whilst he looked amused. “I can’t help it, I have a habit of helping the helpless.” She shifted on her feet nervously and bit at her lip when he stared at her intensely. “So, I take it you’ve made a decision?”

His eyes trailed her face before moving back to her eyes. “Let’s talk somewhere else,” he said, moving over to a smart-looking black sports car and stopping by it expectantly.

“I have my own car,” she replied, gesturing to the black SUV parked not far from her.

“I thought you might, but I don’t want you leaving before I have the chance to explain myself.”

She narrowed her eyes on him, wondering why he thought she might walk out on him, besides; he didn’t know she could apparate if she needed to, so it wasn’t like she was trapped.

“And Magic?” She questioned, deliberately looking at his car which judging by the looks of it, seemed to be expensive.

He shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t let him touch the seats.”

She rolled her eyes but approached the car, surprised when he opened the passenger door for her and helped her in. She settled Magic on her lap and fastened her seatbelt as he climbed in beside her and started the engine.

As they pulled away from the animal clinic, they missed the teenager and the doctor watching them both curiously through the window.

~000~000~000~

They made the journey in silence, and when they pulled up at what looked to be an abandoned building, she turned her eyes to him.

“Are you sure you’re not a serial killer?” She questioned.

He snorted at her. “I’m sure,” he replied, climbing out of the car and moving to the passenger side to open the door for her and to help her out.

She put Magic on the ground and followed after Derek as he led the way to the side of the building, up the stairs and to a large metal door which he slid open, revealing a very large room. It had light wooden flooring and stone pillars littered about to support the roof above. The entirety of the back wall was windows and sunlight streamed into the room, and light bulbs hung from the ceiling. Given the size of the room, there was very little furniture.

In the centre of the room sat a single couch with a coffee table in front of it, and a little away from that sat a desk and a chair, and in the corner of the room, there was a double bed pressed against the wall. That was it.

He gestured for her to sit on the couch and he pulled the chair from the desk until he sat opposite her, the coffee table in-between them. He slipped off his leather jacket and hung it on the back of the chair, and she took off her own coat, placing it over the arm of the couch. She instructed Magic to lay on the ground by her feet, and despite the fact that he clearly wanted to go and explore his new surroundings, he obeyed, laying his head on his paws.

The silence was getting to her, he’d been staring at her for a while now and it was making her uncomfortable.

“You’ve made a decision then?” She asked.

“I have,”

“To be honest I was expecting for it to take longer,” she commented.

“Once I’d slept on it and digested everything you told me, I knew what I was going to do, it just took me a few days to find you.”

She snorted at him. “I made it easy for you, I’ve spent hours hiking through the woods over the last few days, hoping you’d be able to pick up on my scent and it would lead you straight to me.”

He looked surprised with her revelation but didn’t comment on it. “Before I tell you, I need to be sure you’re not lying to me. I’m not saying that you are... I just...”

“I understand,” Hermione nodded, not taking offence.

She stood from her seat and moved around the coffee table and over to him, standing in front of him. He looked up at her confused when she brought her hands up to her t-shirt and lifted the hem to reveal her flat stomach.

“Go on, take a snout full.” He looked amused by her words. “Since we met at the hotel you know what I smell like, you should be able to pick up the change in my scent.”

He kept his gaze locked on hers before he slowly leaned forward and his nose brushed against her skin, tickling her. He sniffed at her stomach a few times before pulling back from her with a slight frown on his face. His lifted his hands to her hips but didn’t touch her, looking at her questioningly.

She rolled her eyes. “It’s not as if you haven’t touched me before. Go ahead,” she told him.

His large hands settled over her hips and gave a gentle tug, pulling her closer to him. He pressed his face against her stomach, his nose just below her belly button and he took several deep inhales before a strange wolf-like whine fell from his lips and he nuzzled at her skin. She felt a smile pull at her face and he reluctantly pulled back from her, a strange sense of peace settling over her and when he looked up at her, a soft, warm look entered his eyes.

“You smell like me.”

“I thought I might,” she nodded, lowering her t-shirt and stepping back from him, settling for sitting on the edge of the coffee table so she was closer to him.

“I want to be a part of their life, I want to help you.”

She smiled at him softly. “I thought you might, werewolves don’t do well as lone wolves, and seeing as this baby is more than likely to be a werewolf, too, it not only makes them your child, but it makes you pack.” He looked at her in surprise, not expecting her to know such a thing. “Derek, I know the ways of the pack a lot better than you realise. I was once part of a pack when I was younger.”

A curious frown appeared on his face. “You’re not a werewolf.”

“I’m not, no, and neither were the other members of the pack, but we did have an Alpha werewolf that was like family to my friends and I. He died a few years ago and when that happened, the pack bond between us was severed. None of us realised how much it actually held us together until it was gone,” she said sadly, before shaking her head of the memories. “Do you have a pack?”

“I did have, but now I’m on my own, or I was until I met you. Now that I know you’re pregnant with my child, it puts you under my protection and binds you to me through a pack bond, despite not being a werewolf yourself.”

“Just for the record, I can handle myself just fine; I’m a lot more formidable than I look.” He looked at her disbelievingly. “Trust me, Derek, I’m different, too. I’m not quite a regular human either.”

“You’re supernatural?” He questioned in surprise.

“Not quite, but there’s a reason I know of the existence of the supernatural, and there’s a reason I have access to the resources I do. I told you there was something about me that I couldn’t tell you, not until I knew I could trust you and this is it. My people have strict laws regarding the safety of my kind, and should I break those laws I’ll be put on trial and sentenced to prison, and our prisons are not something you want to experience. The thought alone makes me nauseous.”

“What are you? What are you hiding?” He leaned forward in his chair and let his clasped hands hang between his parted legs as his elbows rested on his knees.

“You wish to be a part of this baby’s life?”

“I’ve already told you that I do.”

“And can you promise me that you won’t change your mind and leave halfway through my pregnancy? Or that you won’t skip town once the baby’s born.”

“I’m not going anywhere, no matter what. I won’t abandon my pack,” he promised.

She let out a sigh and pushed her fallen curls back from her face. “Right, then I can work my way around the laws. Seeing as you’re the father of my child, you are lawfully allowed to know what your child will be once they’re born. Not only will they be a werewolf, but they’ll be something else, too. Something powerful, something that’s thought to not exist.”

“I’m listening.”

She took another breath and nodded. “Alright, I’ll show you something first and then explain. Keep your eyes on me.”

Before he could blink, she removed her wand from beneath the sleeve of her t-shirt, and with a ‘crack’ she was gone from his sight and on the other side of the room.

He made a noise of surprise and blinked quickly, his eyes searching his surroundings, twisting his body to look behind him where he saw her leaning against the wall. She gave him a small smile and then disappeared again, where she reappeared stood beside him. He jumped in surprise and stared at her with wide eyes as she once more took a seat on the coffee table.

“That is was my people call apparition, it’s basically teleportation.”

His mouth was parted slightly and his eyes staring at her.

“Pick an animal, any animal,” she instructed.

He cleared his throat and slowly pulled himself together. “A snake,”

She scoffed. “Oh, please, that’s an easy one; I was hoping you’d go for something a little more challenging, but, as you wish. _Serpensortia_ ,” she said.

A snake burst from the tip of her wand and slithered about the floor, hissing. He jumped back in his seat and she sniggered at him before cancelling the charm and the snake disappeared. She turned her eyes back to him, and seeing his surprised state, she conjured a glass and filled it with water before handing it to him. He took it from her slowly, scrutinising it as he held it up to his face and then he took a cautious sip.

“Derek, I’m a witch.”

“I’m sorry?” He blurted out, looking at her as if she were stupid.

“I’m a witch, a wand waving, spell casting, potion brewing witch. Just like you were born with your lycanthropy, I was born with my magic, but neither of my parents had magic themselves. I’m what we call a Muggleborn, which is a blood classification for a witch or wizard. I didn’t know of my magic until I turned eleven and a witch turned up at my door, explaining that I was a magical witch and I’d been accepted to attend a magical school where I would learn to harness and control my magic, and they would prepare me for life in the hidden Wizarding World, where my people live their lives freely and safely. Due to the Witch Trials we were forced to wipe all traces of magic from the world and we retreated into a world of our own where we could practice our magic safely. I’ve always had magic in me and when I was younger strange things would happen around me and I knew I was different to others, I just didn’t know what it was until I was eleven.”

He stared at her, speechless.

“What was more surprising, learning I’m pregnant or that I’m a witch and magic exists?”

“Definitely magic,” he said instantly and she laughed at him as he slowly pulled himself together.

“I know it’s a lot to take in, but seeing as you’ve decided to be a part of the baby’s life, you’re going to be around magic every day now, especially when the baby is old enough to start displaying signs of magic, which is usually around the age of five.” A thoughtful looked crossed her face. “I’ll be right back,” she said, and before he could speak, she apparated to her cottage, retrieved _Hogwarts, a History_ and then returned, holding the book out to him.

He shook his head of his thoughts and took the book from her, his eyes looking it over curiously.

“That book will explain everything you need to know about me and magic.”

“You’re in a book?”

“Several,” she sighed. “Look, when I said I was able to take care of myself I meant it. In my world, when I was a child a war broke out and I was dragged into it and I had to fight for my life as well as others.” A horrified look crossed his face. “Everything is explained in the book as I’d rather not talk about it, it brings up painful memories that I try to block out. It’s been five years since we won and defeated the psychotic bastard that wanted to take over the world, and everything’s still hard to talk about. We suffered great losses and we lost a lot of good people,” she said sadly, looking down at the ground.

“People you cared for?” He muttered quietly.

“Yes, Remus, the Alpha werewolf I mentioned and his wife both died, leaving behind a newborn baby, he’s five now and absolutely adorable. My ex-boyfriend, his family all but raised me and one of his older twin brothers died. We lost professors and friends and peers.” She shook her head, fighting off the memories. “Anyway, I better go, I need to feed Magic and Crookshanks.”

“Who?”

“My cat,”

“You have a cat, too?” He said, sounding amused.

“I do, he’s my familiar and I’ve had him since I was thirteen, he gets grouchy when he’s not fed on time and I’m not having him scratching up my bed in retaliation for my being late with his feeding schedule.”

She stood from the coffee table and moved to retrieve her coat, before slipping it on and she picked up Magic’s lead and headed for the door.

“Wait a minute,” he called, putting the book on the coffee table and moving after her, gently taking her arm in his hand and spinning her to face him. “Look, the reason I didn’t want you to leave without giving me the chance to explain is that I don’t like the idea of not being nearby during your pregnancy.” She raised an eyebrow. “I just feel as though if you’re in my line of sight, I can protect you and make sure no harm comes to you or the baby.”

“I understand that, from what I’ve been told Remus was the same when his wife fell pregnant during the war. So what are you thinking? You want me to stay with you?”

“Well...Yeah, I do,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Well, no offence, but I’m not staying here,” she told him, gesturing to her surroundings. “It’s not exactly a place I should be growing a child, is it?” He frowned, looking around himself and knowing she was right. “But if you really feel the need to be close to me, you can stay with me.”

“I can?”

“Yes, I have a spare bedroom you can use. It’s not a bad idea to actually have you around either, I have no idea how to raise a supernatural werewolf, a magical werewolf I could probably get away with since I’m an expert in magical creatures, but my knowledge on your type isn’t as extensive. Besides, I’ve been getting really bad morning sickness, sometimes it knocks me off my feet for a few hours so I’m probably going to need your help anyway.”

“So you live in Beacon Hills now?”

“Yes, and don’t look at me like that, I didn’t move here because of you. I know you listened in on my conversation with the bartender at the hotel, which means you heard me telling him that I’d been transferred in my job. I’ve been transferred here, to Beacon Hills. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but this place is a hell-mouth for the supernatural and seeing as it’s my job to protect their identities, this is the place I need to be at all times. I had already planned on moving here before we met, and it just so happens that I fall pregnant and the father happens to live here, too.”

“That seems strange,” he commented with a thoughtful frown.

“I know, but there’s nothing we can do about it,” she shrugged. “Read the book and when you’re ready, look for me, I promise it won’t be hard and I’ll give you your starting point. Look for me in the woods.”

Before he could reply, she stepped away from him, picked up Magic and with her wand in her hand, she spun on her heel and apparated.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 11

Monday morning came by a lot quicker than Hermione realised, and as soon as she’d readied for the day, she headed to the animal clinic to visit Dr. Deaton and the little owl she’d rescued. The doctor explained that he was going to make a full recovery, they just had to wait for him to gain enough movement and strength in his wing so he could fly again; he just needed someone with specialist training to look after him until that point.

Hermione had wasted no time in convincing the doctor that she could easily care for the little owl, and after witnessing her interactions with the wild bird and it’s apparent fondness of her, he’d agreed to let her take him, so long as she brought him back every few days so he could check on his progress.

Once Hermione returned to the cottage, she’d managed to find an old jewellery box which she transfigured into an owl cage, where her new friend would be safe from Magic, and allow him a place to rest and heal. Giving the snowy white of his feathers and his crystal blue eyes, she’d named him Snowball, and the little bird was all too happy to stay with her, especially when she kept feeding him bits of cheese and meat.

After lunch, she and Magic had gone for a walk through the woods, exploring more of the territory and allowing him the chance to work off some of his energy, Hermione hoping that it would tire him out and he’d be a lot calmer for the rest of the day. It didn’t work and she’d spent the rest of the day trying to get some reading done, but Magic had distracted her and she barely managed a chapter by the time it grew later.

As the sun set and the moon was high in the sky, she readied for bed, dressing in a cotton pair of shorts and a tank top and she slipped her dressing gown on over the top. She was ready to relax in bed and do some reading before she fell asleep, but first, she had to let Magic out for the night.

She slipped on some shoes and placed a Warming Charm over herself before putting the lead on Magic and heading out into the dark night. She walked a little ways from the cottage, and before she could let Magic off his lead, he suddenly started barking and he darted away from her, the lead falling from her fingers as he ran off into the distance.

“MAGIC!” She called, but he didn’t come back. “Damn it,” she cursed, before pulling her wand and casting a _Lumos_ , and she chased after him, her wand lighting the way.

She’d been chasing after him for ten minutes when she had to stop, her lungs burning with the need for oxygen and her limbs aching. She took a moment to rest, before she continued at a slower pace, only to stop when she heard a noise. She spun in a circle before extinguishing the light on her wand, plunging the area into darkness. She gripped her wand tightly and she had an incantation on the tip of her tongue, ready for whatever was lurking in the darkness.

Suddenly, a figure stepped out from behind a tree and approached her, and without thought, she cast the spell.

“ _Bombarda_!” She called, and before the spell left her wand, she quickly caught the feel of his presence. She wasn’t able to stop the spell, but she was able to alter the direction of the intended target and rather than hitting him, it slammed into the tree beside him, sending it shattering to pieces.

She gasped loudly, horrified as he let out a noise of surprise and he darted behind a second tree, just in time for him to be shielded from the raining wooden shrapnel and she was forced to cast a shield over herself, too.

When the woods fell quiet once more, he stepped out from behind the tree and she dropped the shield and lit her wand, creating a small source of light. His eyes locked onto hers and it was clear she had surprised him.

“I’m really sorry,” she said sheepishly. “You startled me and I still have my war reflexes.”

He turned to look at the remains of the tree and then back to her. “I can see that; you’d be handy in a fight,” he said, gaining a surprised laugh from her.

“Well, you haven’t seen me duel, and hopefully you won’t.”

“Why’s that?”

“If I’m duelling it’s for my life and I have a bit of a temper,” she shrugged.

An amused smile pulled at his mouth. “A temper? I can’t see that.”

“Don’t piss me off and you won’t. A lot of people are terrified of me, especially when I’m in a bit of a mood. My temper’s famous all on its own.” He snorted at her. “What are you doing in the middle of the woods at this time of night?”

He turned to look over his shoulder before he let out a loud whistle and moments later, she heard barking and Magic soon appeared, running over to her and she quickly picked him up so he couldn’t run off again.

“I found your dog.”

“I think you’ll find that he found you, you’re the reason he ran off in the first place and had me chasing him for the last ten minutes. You never answered my question.”

He shrugged his shoulders and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I was looking for you, your scent’s all over these woods and I’ve been trying to follow it to you for the last few hours.”

She narrowed her eyes at him and she noticed that he looked exhausted, as if he hadn’t slept since he last saw her.

“You were worried about me, weren’t you? You haven’t been sleeping.” She said knowingly.

He shrugged his shoulders once more. “When you’re not in my line of sight I’m going to worry about you, and I haven’t been sleeping since I’ve been reading that book you gave me. I’ve finished it.”

“Already?” She said, surprised and impressed.

He nodded. “It was...Surprising, unbelievable and interesting. You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”

“You have no idea, what’s in that book is the PG version, a lot has been left out as things happened during the war that I don’t want anyone to know about.”

“You’re strong,” he said confidently.

“That’s what people tell me, but sometimes I don’t feel it,” she sighed, pushing a curl back from her face as it had fallen out of her ponytail. “Well, come on then, I’m tired and you need sleep, too.”

She turned on her heel and headed back to the cottage, hearing his footsteps behind her as he followed after her in silence. They reached their destination quickly, and he looked up at the one-story cottage in surprise.

“You live here?” He questioned.

“Yes, I bought it and had it renovated, why?”

“When I was a kid it was abandoned and I used to play here, it’s just strange that this is where you now live.”

“Maybe, but everything about us is turning out to be strange.”

“Why do you live in the woods?”

“I need to keep magic a secret and here I can safely practice my magic without risk of there being any witnesses. And it’s quiet; I like the solitary and peace it gives me. I’ve had a chaotic life over the last decade, here I can relax,” she answered him as she pressed her wand to the door and it swung open and they stepped into the warmth of her cottage.

She removed the lead from Magic’s collar and put him on the ground, and he bounded out of the room and down the corridor, whilst she closed the door behind Derek and watched him as he took in his surroundings.

They were currently stood in her living room. The flooring was the same through the entire cottage, it all being a light wood design and the walls were pale blue with white and silver accents. She had a black couch sat in the centre of the room with a dark wooden coffee table in front of it. To the left sat the matching armchair, and in front of that was the large fireplace that dominated the wall, and above it sat a large TV which was mounted on the wall. There was a black rug sat in front of the fireplace, and hot, dancing flames heated the cottage. Snowball’s cage sat in the corner of the room by the window and the white curtains were drawn closed.

She moved over to the kitchen, slipping through the door that separated it from the living room and he followed after her, whilst she filled Magic’s bowl with fresh water and placed it on the ground. The kitchen held the same colour scheme as the living room, and it had light wooden cupboards and drawers and dark countertops, and it was filled with muggle appliances; a large fridge-freezer, a microwave, kettle and an oven. A light wooden table sat in the centre of the room and was surrounded by four chairs. A room off to the side was the laundry room, holding a washing machine and a tumble dryer.

She left the kitchen and headed down the corridor, seeing Derek’s eyes curiously taking in the photos that littered the walls, and he looked intrigued when she walked past her library and potions lab, flicking her wand at them to lock the doors to stop him from getting in and hurting himself.

“That’s the bathroom,” she pointed to the door that was on the left and left ajar. “And this you can claim as yours if you wish to stay with me,” she said, opening the door beside the bathroom and letting him step inside.

It was similar to her own room, only hers was bigger. The colour scheme was chocolate brown and cream. The large bed sat in the centre of the room with the wooden headboard being up against the back wall, opposite the door. There were two dark wooden bedside tables on either side of the bed and a lamp sat on each one. A desk and chair were on the left wall, close to the window and there was no wardrobe or chest of drawers as there was a walk-in closet instead.

“I know it’s early but I’m knackered so I’m going to head to bed. If you need anything, my room’s at the end of the corridor. Feel free to help yourself to whatever you wish to in the kitchen, and if you wish to watch the TV, the remote’s in the drawer of the coffee table. And watch out for Crookshanks, he’s not a people person, and be sure to stay away from Snowball, too. He’ll freak out and I can’t have him injuring himself further whilst he’s supposed to be healing.”

“And who’s Snowball?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

“The owl you saw the other day at the animal clinic. Dr. Deaton’s released him into my care as he’s comfortable around me due to my being a witch.”

“You use owls to deliver mail, right?”

She smiled at him; he really had read the book. “Yes, we do, all owls are able to sense when a witch or wizard is nearby. They are drawn to us, which is why he’s so comfortable around me. When he’s fully healed and healthy I’ll be surprised if he actually wants to leave,” she shrugged. “Anyway, we can talk more in the morning, night, Derek,” she spoke, turning and leaving him to his own devices as she headed to her own room.

She removed her shoes and dressing gown and climbed into bed. She pulled Magic up onto the mattress and he moved to lay at the end of the bed with Crookshanks, and she settled down under the covers, forgoing her plans of reading and falling asleep instantly.

~000~000~000~

When Hermione woke the next morning, it was to rain thudding against the roof and running down her bedroom window, grey skies, and the sound of something smashing against the floor.

Wide awake, she bolted from the bed with her wand in her hand and she darted out the room, down the corridor and into the kitchen, sighing in relief when she saw that it wasn’t an intruder, but Derek, who was crouched down and picking up the pieces of a broken mug.

“Bloody hell, Derek, you scared the hell out of me!” She snapped.

He turned to look over his shoulder in surprise, apparently not hearing her enter the room in his distraction. He eyed her wand in her hand carefully, before they moved back to her face.

She sighed. “I thought someone had broken in,” she explained. “Like I said, my war reflexes have yet to leave me.”

She walked further into the room and over to the fridge, flicking her wand at the broken mug and he looked impressed when the pieces lifted from the ground and put themselves back together, as if it had never been broken. He rose to full height and moved out of the way when she reached for the kettle, filled it with water and then switched it on, waiting for the water to boil, whilst she pulled her favourite mug from the cupboard.

She felt his eyes on her and when she looked over her shoulder, his eyes were trailing over her figure, reminding her of the fact she was wearing nothing but cotton shorts and a tank top that had ridden up slightly during her sleep. She couldn’t be bothered by it, after all, he’d seen her naked, well, without her scars at least and remembering that fact, she quickly cast a glamour over herself before he noticed any of them.

“So, why are you breaking my things?” She asked him, turning back to the fridge and pulling out the fixings for breakfast.

“I was startled,” he replied.

“By what exactly?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

“That thing,” he gestured with his head and she turned around, her eyes falling to the ground and on the ginger fur-ball that was hidden under a kitchen chair, and he looked to be eyeing Derek up, deciding whether or not he was friend or foe.

“That is not a _thing_ , that’s my cat,” she scowled at him.

“That _thing_ is not a cat,” he scoffed.

Her eyes narrowed and she put her hands on her hips. “Yes, it is. And not only is my Crookshanks a cat, but he’s half kneazle which is a magical cat-like creature. He’s far smarter than any normal cat and he’s an excellent judge of character, he’s never steered me wrong yet.”

Derek’s eyes moved to Crookshanks, looking at him with a slight grimace due to his messy, almost feral appearance.

“I think he wants to bite me.”

“Probably,” she agreed, seeing no point in lying to him, Crookshanks bit everyone. “You’re a werewolf, just bite him back.” He sent her a withering look as she tried to hide her sniggers but failed.

She turned her attention back to breakfast and after making herself a cup of tea, she allowed Derek to make himself a coffee, whilst she made a start on their breakfast and that morning she was in the mood for pancakes.

With a little magic, the cooking process was sped up and she placed the plates on the table and they took their seats, eating their breakfast in silence. When finished she flicked her wand and the dishes went to the sink to wash themselves while she fed Crookshanks and Magic, who appeared in the kitchen soon after.

Hermione moved to the living room and sat on the armchair, curling up and getting herself comfortable and seeing as it was cold that morning, she summoned a blanket she’d knitted herself and draped it over her form, before lighting the fire in the fireplace.

Derek followed after her, sitting himself down on the couch and they watched each other in silence, neither one of them not knowing what to say. Magic broke the silence when he bounded into the room, jumped up onto the armchair and laid across Hermione and she absentmindedly ran her hands through his fur. With the silence becoming uncomfortable she was the first to speak.

“Did you sleep well?” She asked.

He nodded. “Yes, thanks, given that I knew you were in the same building as me, I had no reason to worry and I could sleep easily.”

“I take it you want to make you staying here an occurring event,” she said.

“If you wouldn’t mind,”

“I don’t, I get it, really I do. Your wolf instincts to protect your pack are strong and hard to ignore. So, we’re probably going to be spending a lot of time together in the coming months and we need to be able to get along. I need a stress free environment, and us arguing and fighting isn’t going to help.”

“What do you have in mind?” He asked, leaning forward with his hands clasped and his arms resting on his knees.

“To make this easier on the both of us, we need to adjust to each other. In order to better understand each other, we need to get to know each other. So, I’m sure you have plenty of questions. You can ask anything you wish to and I’ll do my best to answer as honestly as possible.”

A thoughtful frown crossed his face and he tilted his head to the side slightly. “How long have you known you’re pregnant?”

She blinked in surprise not expecting that question; she’d expected him to ask questions regarding magic.

“I haven’t known long, it’s been almost four weeks. I think I was six weeks along at the time. As I’ve mentioned before, my morning sickness started really early on in the pregnancy, when I cast the charm the result was positive. I did it several times after just to be sure.”

“And your morning sickness, it’s bad?” A worried look crossed his face and she couldn’t help be touched by his worry for her.

“Some days it’s not so bad, other days I have to lay down for a while. I haven’t felt nauseous this morning and I was actually able to eat something, so today might be a good day.”

“What triggers it?”

“It could be anything really, and it happens at all times of the day. Sometimes it’s a certain food, sometimes it’s smells, like that cologne you wear, and I’ve noticed you haven’t worn it the last few times I’ve seen you, so thank you for that.”

He shrugged his shoulders and her mouth twitched at the way his eyes moved from her face and down to the floor.

“And there’s something you should know, too,” she said and he raised an eyebrow. “If you ever ask me if I’m hungry and I say no, I’m lying. The chances are that whatever you’re eating, I’m going to want it, too.” He snorted at her. “I’m being serious, if you go out and get a burger and don’t bring me one back, despite the fact I said I didn’t want anything, I’ll probably cry and complain for the next few hours. My friend Harry learned that the hard way, the day before I left London.”

“Does anyone else know you’re pregnant?”

“No, I didn’t want to tell anyone until after I’d told you, you deserved to know before anyone else. And also, the Wizarding World is a lot more judgemental than this world. It’s frowned upon to have a child out of wedlock, and if I’d have told anyone but Harry, I would’ve had the media on my back, the public sending me fan mail and hate mail, and I’d have to deal with the screeching of Molly Weasley, who’s a very judgemental person. She already dislikes me because I broke up with her son, I didn’t want to give her reason to actually hex me and she probably would. She can be kind and caring, but she can be equally as cruel, and it hurts all the more because she practically raised me in the Wizarding World.”

She let her head fall back against the back of the armchair and she stared up at the ceiling, willing away the tears that threatened to fall, remembering the treatment she’d suffered under Molly Weasley throughout her life. She shook her head and turned her eyes back to him, seeing him frowning and a protective look settled on his face.

“Anyway, I’m not really experiencing any other symptoms of pregnancy, not yet at least. It’s just the morning sickness at the moment, but I’m sure the others will make an appearance soon, after all, I’m not even showing yet.” His eyes fell down to her stomach and then moved back to her face. “Any more questions?”

“What exactly is your job?”

“Back in Britain, I worked to protect the supernatural beings of Britain and Europe from hunters and keeping them a secret from regular humans. As well as helping to ensure that magical creatures were being treated fairly and that the barbaric laws regarding their species were abolished and newer, fairer laws were put into place, ensuring that all magical creatures had basic human rights. It took me nearly three years of campaigning before the government finally got sick of me.” He chuckled at her, shaking his head lightly. “My job here is a little different. There seems to be an unusual amount of supernatural beings that reside in Beacon Hills or that come to Beacon Hills. My job is to monitor that activity and ensure that the supernatural beings here don’t harm a human. Also, if there are any suspicious deaths, I’m to investigate, identify the one responsible and alert my government. If I can, I’m to capture the culprit and turn them in, if not, then I must ensure that they can’t hurt anyone else, but killing is and will be my last option. I’ve got a lot of freedom. As long as I comply with the laws of my people and I turn in my reports of any incidences on time, they’ll leave me alone. Technically I’m a magical policeman that deals with magical creatures and supernatural beings.”

“If you think I’m going to let you anywhere near a dangerous situation, then you’re insane,” he said.

“I’m not stupid, Derek. I would never put the baby at risk. I owled The Ministry yesterday and informed them of my pregnancy. I doubt they’re going to be happy with the news considering I’ve been here less than two weeks and I’ve only just started my job, but they have no option. I’m good at what I do, very good, it’s the reason I was offered the position. They specifically asked for me. I can still do my job but another agent may have to come out and do all the duelling if it’s required. Hopefully, nothing will happen until after the baby’s born.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, it’s been quiet recently so that’s probably going to change soon,” he spoke.

“I knew you were going to say that,” she sighed.

He shrugged, before leaning back into the couch and getting more comfortable. “How old are you?”

She frowned slightly, realising that she didn’t know his age either. It hadn’t been in his file. She’d only had his name, status and last known address.

“Twenty-three, September 19th, you?”

“Twenty-two, July 23rd,” he answered.

“You look a lot older,” she commented.

“And you look a lot younger.” She snorted at him. “Where are your parents? What do they do?”

A sad look crossed her face. “They both died when I was eighteen. I used a form of Mind Magic on them, altering their memories so they’d forget they had a daughter. I packed up their things, gave them new identities and sent them to live in Australia to keep them safe. They were found by the followers of Voldemort a month after leaving. They died not even knowing I existed.”

He kept his eyes locked on hers, and there was something comforting about his dark gaze, that she felt safe and protected. That she felt he understood.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, his voice softening in a way she didn’t expect from him.

She nodded in response. “They were both dentists, growing up I spent a lot of time by myself since they worked all the time. I found my solace in books and knowledge. When we discovered I was a witch, they were proud of me, but I know it was hard for them. I’d go away to school and return three times a year, and when I’d speak about my friends and my classes and my grades, they never understood, they couldn’t. Despite knowing they loved me and they were proud, our relationship became strained and they tended to avoid the subject of magic, they didn’t like to hear me talk about it or see me casting spells once I became of age and I could legally practice magic out of school.”

“They kept you from being who you were?” He questioned, an angry frown on his face.

“It wasn’t their fault, they didn’t understand. How could they? They couldn’t even come shopping with me as they were muggles and couldn’t cross between the barriers separating our worlds. They couldn’t see me off to school like the other parents could; they couldn’t understand any of my school books or the traditions of the Wizarding World. For them it was just easier to not talk about it,” she shrugged and then she shuffled to get more comfortable. “What about your parents?”

“Both dead. My dad died when I was a baby, my mom said he was killed by a hunter when he went to visit a friend in Chicago. My mom died when I was fifteen in a house fire, the house you found. It was set by a hunter. They discovered my family were werewolves and despite the fact we’d never hurt anyone, they came after us.”

A horrified look crossed her face and she brought a hand up to cover her mouth, sitting up straight and waking Magic. He jumped down to the ground and moved over to the rug, curling up next to Crookshanks and falling asleep in front of the fire.

“My mom died, as did my Aunt and cousins, and my younger sister, Cora. Laura, my older sister, she pulled me out of the house and she took custody of me until I graduated and I left Beacon Hills, before coming back here a year ago when I learned she’d died. It turns out, my Uncle who was also in the fire, had gotten out and spent years in hospital in a cationic state. There was nothing wrong with him, it was all a ruse and he killed my sister so he could become an Alpha. I killed him and became an Alpha myself and I later discovered that Cora was alive. We’ve had a lot of trouble lately with the supernatural and she was attacked and to save her, I gave up my power as Alpha and she left, and I don’t blame her.”

Hermione shifted on the armchair until her feet touched the ground and she bent over with her head in her hands and her elbows resting on her knees, taking slow, deep breaths, feeling dizzy and nauseous over what she’d just learned. Bloody hell, his past was just as traumatising as her own!

“You okay?”

“Just give me a minute,” she muttered, fighting off the need to be sick, and once it passed, she removed her head from her hands and looked to him. “We’re both so fucked up by our pasts that this poor baby doesn’t even stand a chance with parents like us.”

A sudden laugh tore from him, confusing her.

“What are you laughing at?”

He didn’t answer, in fact, it made him laugh harder and after realising she wasn’t going to get any answers from him, she stood with a huff and walked out of the room, deciding to change for the day. She quickly changed into some jeans and a t-shirt and made her way to the kitchen to pour herself some pumpkin juice and then she returned to the living room, taking her seat on the armchair, seeing that Derek had calmed down but he still had an amused look on his face.

“Now that you’ve pulled yourself together, would you care to explain what you found so funny?” She questioned, folding her arms over her chest and narrowing her eyes at him.

His mouth twitched into a smile “You’ve just voiced the exact same thoughts I’ve been having since I read that book about you and your war.”

“I feel sorry for this baby. It’s got two emotionally and mentally damaged parents, no Grandparents, no Uncles and one runaway Aunt who they may or not meet in their lifetime. We’re all this baby is going to have.”

“I know, which means we can’t mess things up. We really have to do this together if we want to try and give the baby the best life possible,” Derek said.

“Well, we seem to be getting along so far, but that might just be because we’re still in the early stages and I’ve not started having mood swings that will rival yours when the full moon hits.” He gave her a look of disbelief. “What?” She asked innocently. “You’ll have to get used to me cracking werewolf related jokes, I can’t help myself; I’ve been doing it for years, it’s habit now.”

He snorted at her, shaking his head. “I take it you don’t have any siblings either, given what you said about the baby having a lack of family members.”

“No, I was an only child. My parents had a lot of trouble conceiving and I was their miracle baby. Knowing what I did and after seeing the way it affected them as I grew up, it’s the reason I never even considered an abortion. When I discovered I was pregnant, I was surprised and terrified, but I knew I had to keep it.”

“I’m glad you did.”

“You are?” Even she heard the surprise in her voice.

“Yes, I am. Because of you, I’m going to have a family again, a pack. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

“Yeah, me too,” she said softly, her hand coming up to rest against her flat stomach and she looked down at the ground shyly, when she felt his intense gaze on her.

“I protect my pack,” he muttered.

“And so do I,” she replied. “So do I.”


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 13

Several days had passed since Derek had taken Hermione’s spare bedroom for himself, and since then they’d been getting along rather well. The first morning of him staying with her, Hermione had apparated him back to his home –which he hated and swore to never do it again- and he packed himself some clean clothes and wash products before they returned to the cottage.

In the days that came after, Hermione and Derek barely left the cottage due to the storm that held the residents of Beacon Hills hostage; the rain being harsh and loud, the wind biting and cold, and the sky dark and grey. Being confined in the cottage, they’d spent a lot of time getting to know each other, gaining a better understanding of one another, and when they weren’t learning about each other, they read in silence.

Hermione had shown Derek her library and his surprised expression at just how many books she actually owned had made her laugh. Whilst she got the feeling he didn’t enjoy reading as much as she did, she knew that he had an appreciation for learning and for knowledge. He’d been interested in some of her books on magical creatures, spell work and potions, but once he’d walked past her potions lab and gotten a smell of the potions that were being brewed behind the closed door, he swore to never go near it again.

And finally, after days of rain and storms, the weather had cleared up and the sun had made an appearance. As soon as Hermione woke that morning, the first thing she’d done was dress and ready for the day, excited that she could now leave the cottage without risk of her returning like a drowned rat and unable to feel her body parts. She’d decided to go hiking through the woods, wanting to do some more exploring, but before that she needed to take Snowball to see Dr. Deaton, as she promised she would every few days.

She left her room, Magic and Crookshanks following at her heels as she made her way to the kitchen. She quickly fed them both before moving to collect Snowball from his cage, and he perched on her shoulder as she made herself some breakfast, feeding him little bits of toast and cooked bacon whilst she waited for the eggs.

By the time she’d finished and sat at the table, Derek made an appearance, dressed for the day but still looking half asleep. He took the chair opposite her, gratefully picking up the mug of coffee she’d left beside his breakfast which was under a Stasis Charm to keep it warm. As he sipped at the hot liquid, he eyed the wild bird sat on her shoulder, rubbing its head against Hermione’s cheek and nipping at her finger affectionately as she gave him some bacon.

He’d seen Hermione and the owl interact like this several times over the last few days and he still found it odd at how the wild animal trusted Hermione so much. Hermione had tried to get him to pet the owl a few times, but after seeing the way the owl had looked at him, as if it wanted to bite him, he’d refused each time.

He moved his eyes away from her shoulder and down her body, seeing that not only was she ready for the day, but that she looked as though she planned to leave the cottage.

“What are you up to?” He asked her.

She sat up straight in her chair after she’d been bent over slightly, scratching Magic behind the ears as he sat beside her chair.

“I need to take Snowball to the animal clinic for a checkup, and then I thought I’d go for a walk in the woods, and I might take Magic with me. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to take him for a proper walk and he’s been too full of energy over the last few days.”

He snorted at her, knowing that it was true. He’d be sat reading and suddenly he’d find himself being pounced on by the over-excited puppy that just wanted to play and wouldn’t leave him alone until he threw his ball, played tug of war with an old rag and then gave him a belly rub.

“Should you really be going out there today?”

She frowned and looked out the window, seeing the blue sky and the sun shining. “The weather looks perfectly fine to me.”

“I don’t mean the weather, if you’re planning on hiking through the woods it’s going to be dangerous. Storms like the one we’ve just had often knock down weak, rotting trees, branches break away from the trees and become dangerous as they may fall at any moment, and the ground is not only going to be uneven, but muddy and swampy, too. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Her face softened at his concern. “I’ll be fine, Derek; I survived a war, I’ll survive the boggy woods. If you’re so worried about me, you can come with me if you wish to. I’ve been cooped up in here too long and I need to get out, I need to have fresh air and to be surrounded by nature.”

“Why?” He questioned, a crease appearing on his forehead, not at her words, but at the way she’d spoken them.

She sighed and pushed an escaped curl back from her face, it having already fallen out of the ponytail she’d put it in not even half an hour ago.

“You’ve learned a lot about me over the last few days, but there’s still things I haven’t told you.”

“Such as?” He asked, leaning forward in his seat and resting his arms on the table.

“I haven’t told you because I was wondering if you’d pick up on it given you’re a werewolf, but we’ve been in close quarters for a few days now and you don’t seem to have noticed anything.”

A confused look crossed his face when she brought her hand up to the right sleeve of her cardigan and she pushed it up to her elbow, resting her arm on the table so her forearm was facing upwards. He let his eyes fall down, seeing nothing but perfectly unblemished skin, that was until she pulled her wand from out of her hair and waved it over her arm, revealing a long since healed scar. But it wasn’t just any scar; it was in the shape of a bite mark.

Frowning, he lifted his eyes back up to hers, silently asking her to explain.

“In my line of work I had to interact with magical creatures on a regular basis, the most usual one being werewolves.” His eyes darted down to her arm and then back to her face, a protective, worried look entering his eyes. “I went to visit a pack of thirteen members, I needed to inform them of the law changes and the new stipulations of the legislation, which were that werewolves had to take a particular potion that would help them to remain in control after their transformation on the night of the full moon, or, they had to ensure that they were as far away from human civilization as possible so they couldn’t harm anyone. Given it was a long journey and I’d been hiking for miles in order to find them, the Alpha of the pack asked that I stay with them for the night and they would ensure that I would be safe from the other creatures that wandered the forest they resided in. The next day was the full moon and I left as soon as I could; I can deal with one temperamental werewolf, but thirteen is something else entirely,” she shook her head, the fingers of her left hand tracing the bite mark gently.

“As I was making my way away from their camp I hadn’t realised I was followed. One of the members of the pack didn’t like the stipulations they had to follow and despite the fact that I was only the messenger, he decided he would take his anger out on me. Werewolves are generally stronger than magical folk, but even more so on the day of the full moon and he overpowered me. He tried to kill me, but he’d only managed to bite me before the Alpha turned up and killed him for treason against the pack; he disobeyed orders.”

“You’re saying you’re a werewolf, too?” He said slowly, trying to understand and process what she’d told him.

“No, a magical werewolf can only turn another during the night of the full moon, given that it was still early morning, the venom in my system wouldn’t have changed me, but it still could’ve killed me. The Alpha sucked the venom out of the bite and took me to hospital. I’m not a werewolf, but I do have some lupine traits that are consistent with magical werewolves.”

“Strength? Speed? Senses?” He asked curiously, his eyes trailing over her in a way they hadn’t done before.

“Not quite,” she shook her head. “It’s more behavioural changes. For instance, on the day and night of the full moon, whilst I don’t go through the transformation, I do get easily agitated or I have an influx of energy. Sometimes I prefer my meats to be a little on the raw side, and I eat a lot of chocolate which helps to calm me. But in general, I feel the need to be around nature as often as possible; I need to be free. It’s one of the reasons why I bought this place. I’ve got my solitude, people are unlikely to stumble upon me using magic and I’m surrounded by nature. I hated living in my London City apartment.”

She gave a sigh before pulling her sleeve back down to cover the scar and she pushed a curl back from her face and behind her ear, turning her eyes to him.

“I guess my lupine traits aren’t quite strong enough for you to pick up on, and you might’ve seen my behaviour at the full moon as odd, but then again, you probably wouldn’t notice being too focused on yourself,” she shrugged.

“You’ve got other scars, haven’t you?” He questioned, but there was a knowing tone to his voice. “That night, you covered them with magic so I wouldn’t see them, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I do and yes, I did,” she confirmed.

“Why?”

She shrugged again, allowing her eyes to fall to the table. “First of all, if I’d allowed you to see them, you’d have had questions which I didn’t wish to answer. And second of all, they’re not exactly nice to look at. I’ve got more scars than I care to admit, some from my job but most of them are from the war.”

“You think me that shallow that I would reject you because of a few scars? I might not have been able to see them, but I had felt a few raised marks on your skin and I didn’t bring it up.”

He actually sounded hurt and Hermione lifted her eyes back up to his, getting caught in the gaze of his dark eyes.

“I didn’t say that, I can’t rightly say whether you’re a shallow person or not, but that doesn’t matter, I didn’t hide my scars for that fact, for fear or rejection. I hid them for my sake.” He frowned at her confession. “Sometimes when I catch sight of them, they remind me of how I received them which pulls me into memories of the war. I’m reminded of the suffering and pain and the terror and death. And those feelings cripple me until I can’t breathe or think clearly. A loud noise can startle me, sending me into flashbacks of battles and duels. The smell of smoke reminds me of the fact I almost died, being trapped in a room with demon-possessed magical fire. The sight of mismatched bricks and stone on houses and businesses reminds me of the rubble and dust it had been reverted to after battles and raids.”

“PTSD,” he muttered softly, the hurt look in his eyes disappearing and being replaced with understanding.

“Yes,” she sighed in admittance. “A lot of us struggled after the war, particularly those that were on the front line and fought in the Final Battle. It’s not as bad as it used to be, but it does still happen.”

“I get it,” he nodded. “I almost died in a house fire and witnessed my childhood home burn down with my family still inside. I don’t like the smell of smoke or being too close to an open flame.”

“As I said before, we’re both so damaged this poor baby doesn’t stand a chance,” she muttered, earning a snort from him and breaking them away from the sad, pained atmosphere in the room. “Anyway, I’m still going to go hiking in the woods.”

“You should give me your number so I can contact you if I need to,” he said, before a frown settled on his face. “Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask you, why haven’t I seen you with a cell phone and why doesn’t mine work when I’m around you?”

“Well, I don’t have a mobile phone so I can’t give you my number.” He blinked at that. “And your phone isn’t working due to it being rendered useless by the magic in the cottage. All electronic and technological items that use electric or radio waves don’t and can’t function around magic, which is why there is no such thing as electricity and technology in the Wizarding World.”

He blinked in surprise once more and then deliberately looked around the room, eyeing the kitchen appliances and the light above.

“Despite the fact I renovated the cottage with magic, its foundations are still non-magical, and also, there’s a series of wards that can be used to protect electronic and technological items from magic and allow them to function correctly, which is why I have the TV in the living room and the kitchen appliances, but they’re the only rooms to contain such items and even still, I have to recast the wards several times a week. The wards are designed for larger items and would not work for your mobile phone, if you wish to use it, it’ll have to be outside of the cottage, approximately one hundred feet away should do it.”

“So how am I supposed to contact you?” He questioned.

She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, but I’ll figure something out. And I better get going,” she said, lifting her hand to her shoulder and the little owl hobbled onto it as she stood from her chair. “I’m going to apparate to the animal clinic, I shouldn’t be gone too long and I’ll come back before I go for my walk. If you wish to come with me, you should be ready by then.”

~000~000~000~

After Hermione had apparated to the animal clinic to get Snowball checked over, she quickly returned to the cottage after only being gone twenty minutes and Dr. Deaton telling her he was happy with the little owl’s healing so far.

She stepped through the door, immediately being engulfed by the warmth inside the cottage and she caught sight of Derek sat on the couch, a book in hand and Magic sprawled across his lap as Derek absentmindedly gave the puppy a belly rub. She noticed that he’d changed clothing, too, he still wore jeans, a t-shirt and trainers, but they looked to be a little older so he probably wouldn’t mind them getting filthy.

He looked up and gave her a small smile in greeting and she returned the gesture as she crossed the room to Snowball’s cage and placed him on his perch. She’d have to see if she could find some mice for him whilst she was out, if not she’d have to make a trip to the pet shop later on.

“Everything alright?” He asked.

“Yes,” she nodded. “His wounds are sealed and clear of infection and his wing’s healing as it should be, a few weeks and he should be able to fly again,” she replied, before turning to face him. “You’re coming with me then?”

He shrugged. “I could do with the walk after being cooped up inside for so long, and I don’t want you walking in the woods alone. You have no idea of the things that have happened here.”

“I think I have a good idea and I can handle myself, it’s not as if this place is the Forbidden Forest with centaurs and acromantulas wandering around and looking for their next meal.”

“Centaurs are real?” He blinked. Whilst he’d been interested in magic and its history, he’d yet to ask her questions regarding magical creatures so she wasn’t surprised that he seemed so shocked by the news.

“Yes, they are, and acromantulas are giant spiders that eat humans and also have the intelligence of being able to speak the human language. Thankfully I’ve never actually come face to face with one myself, I hate spiders no matter their size,” she shivered. “Anyway, should we get going?”

He nodded and Hermione summoned Magic’s lead and when he saw it, he jumped down off of Derek and bounded over to her, jumping up at her and barking excitedly as she clipped the lead to the collar. She then summoned her backpack filled with water and snacks and slipped it on, before heading to the door with Derek grabbing his leather jacket and following after her.

She made sure the door was locked and the protective wards around the cottage were strong before they started their walk, Derek staying close to her side and Hermione allowing the exited puppy to lead the way.

They’d been walking for over an hour and admittedly, the ground was a little boggy given the previous storm so she’d cast Repellent Charms on the both of their shoes to prevent them from getting too dirty and to keep their feet dry, which Derek was impressed with. They’d only been out of the cottage ten minutes when Magic had found a particularly large muddy puddle and was rolling around in it before Hermione had the chance to stop him.

Derek had laughed at the look on her face before she sighed, removed the lead from Magic’s collar and allowed him to have his fun. She’d just have to give him a bath later.

They followed Magic through the woods as he ran ahead of them but stayed in their sight, and during that time, they’d chatted comfortably, telling each other more about their pasts and Derek asking questions about magical creatures and Hermione being amused by his responses. She’d almost wet herself when he tripped over a fallen branch in his shock at discovering that dragons were real. He stumbled forward but managed to catch himself before falling to the ground and she leaned against a tree, laughing at him.

“You’re lying to me, you have to be, they can’t be real,” he said, his eyes narrowed slightly.

She shook her head and forced herself to calm down so she could respond. “Honestly, they’re real. My ex’s older brother is a Dragon Tamer on a Dragon Reserve in Romania; he’s been doing it for over a decade now. He helps to rehabilitate injured dragons, he raises dragons that are hatched in captivity or that are abandoned by their mothers, and he runs a breeding programme. The dragon population is dropping severely and they’re trying to get their numbers back up, but dragon breeding isn’t easy. In the last three years, they’ve only had five successful breedings.”

“No, I still don’t believe you,” he shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You’re forgetting that I broke into a bank and escaped on the back of a dragon.”

“Still don’t believe they’re real.”

She snorted at him. “Someday I’ll take you to a dragon reserve and you’ll get the shock of your life,” she said, pushing away from the tree she was leaning against and turning to move over to Magic, who had found another muddy puddle and was rolling in it.

By this point Hermione could barely see the features of her puppy, what with him being covered head to toe after having several mud baths. He really was filthy with twigs and leaves stuck in his muddy fur.

She heard Derek’s steps behind her and she gave a sudden shriek of surprise when she didn’t see the broken branch on the floor and she tripped, heading towards the ground. She felt his hands grip at her hips and before she hit the ground, she was tugged backwards until she was stood upright and her back hit his chest, being pressed against him tightly.

“That was a close one, thank you,” she said, slightly breathless and she felt his hands grip her hips tighter and the heat of his body melted through their clothes and onto her skin. “I’m fine, nothing for you to worry about, I just didn’t see it,” she told him, turning her head slightly when she felt his nose brush her hairline.

She heard his intake of breath and his hands slipped from her hips and around to rest gently on her stomach over her clothing, before he came to his senses, dropped his hands to his sides and he stepped away from her, putting space between them.

“Sorry,” he said, adjusting the strap of her backpack on his shoulder, since he’d taken it from her as soon as they’d left the cottage. It really wasn’t heavy but he insisted and she saw no point in arguing over it.

“It’s alright,” she replied, still feeling the ghost of his heat against her. “Magic, seriously!” Hermione sighed, catching sight of her puppy from the corner of her eye and seeing that he was rolling around in what looked to be a pile of owl faeces that was on the ground.

Derek snorted and she sent him a withering look, he raised his hands in the air as a sign of surrender. “It’s not my fault, you’re the one that let him off his lead,” he told her, still sounding amused and she glowered at him before turning and storming after her puppy as he ran off.

They followed after him at a leisurely pace for a little while longer before Magic suddenly started barking and much like he had the night Derek had been in the woods looking for her, he darted off and out of sight, his barking carrying through the wind.

“Damn it, Magic!” Hermione shouted in annoyance, before she took off after him with Derek following at her side, but given that he was a lot faster than her, he was the first to reach Magic who had stopped dead at the top of a hill and was barking loudly.

He clipped the lead onto the muddy dog’s collar to prevent him from escaping and Hermione came to a stop by Derek, leaning over slightly as she tried to catch her breath.

“You know, I used to be a lot fitter than this, what with running for my life every five bloody minutes, but this pregnancy’s taking a lot out of me.”

“Are you alright?” He asked, looking down at her with a worried look on his face. He was completely fine, not a single pant leaving him which she found annoying.

“Fine,” she waved him off, before standing upright and he noticed that her body language changed.

She stood tall, her body tense as though she were waiting for someone to jump out and attack her. He saw her eyes narrow and dart about her surroundings cautiously and her left hand came up towards her right sleeve where her wand was hidden. He felt himself stiffen and ready for an attack, too. If someone like her sensed something, then it was best to be prepared.

“Something’s wrong,” she muttered quietly, looking down to the still barking puppy.

Hermione frowned before moving forward, peaking over the edge of the hill and to the bottom and he wasn’t blind to the way she took a breath and her eyes closed briefly, before she pulled her wand and gripped it in her hand.

“What is it?” He asked, also peaking over the edge of the hill and looking down to the bottom, but he couldn’t see anything.

She didn’t answer, instead, she carefully climbed down the steep hill despite him telling her it was too dangerous and he sighed, before tying Magic’s lead around a tree to keep him there and dropping the backpack to the ground so he could follow after her.

By the time he reached the bottom, he felt dread fill him at the sight that met him. Hermione crouched on the ground beside the dead body of what looked to be a middle-aged man. She was waving her wand and muttering to herself while flashes of light appeared momentarily.

“He’s dead,” she spoke.

It obviously wasn’t her first time seeing or discovering a dead body. Whilst she seemed to be cautious and ready for a fight, she was calm, _too_ calm about the whole situation. And he wasn’t sure if that worried him or not. Just how many bodies had she come into contact with that she didn’t batter an eyelash at finding one in the middle of the woods?

He approached and crouched down on the other side of the body, his eyes searching the body for any telltale signs of it being a murder, and if so, if a supernatural being was responsible. She seemed to understand his intentions as she spoke.

“It’s not supernatural,” she said.

“Natural causes?” He said, but even he heard the disbelief in his tone.

The man wasn’t dressed for hiking in the woods, especially considering the weather conditions they’d recently had, and judging by the lack of smell, the body hadn’t been there long. There was no reason for him to be in the woods, so the only explanation was that it was a body dump.

“No,” she sighed.

He watched as she reached up and turned the man’s head towards him, bearing his neck where he saw two small puncture wounds.

“Magical,” she answered.

He blinked in surprise, they’d never had a magical creature killing, but then again, they’d never know. If there had been it probably would’ve been blamed on a supernatural being as they wouldn’t know the difference.

“Vampire,” she said.

He stared at her completely surprised at what she’d revealed. He’d certainly never thought vampires were real before meeting her, and he’d never come across the victim of one either.

“According to the results of the tests I’ve just run, this body’s been here less than eight hours,” she told him, her eyes darting about their surroundings and he felt himself mimicking her actions.

“Why do you seem worried by that?”

She turned her eyes back to him. “It means the vampire will be nearby,” she muttered.

He felt himself stiffen at the news. Obviously he’d never met a vampire and he didn’t really want to either.

“The body hasn’t been drained so it still contains blood. The vampire will come back to finish the rest off, which means it’s likely to end in a fight. The new laws stipulate that vampires are able to roam freely in the world so long as they refrain from harming a human. They need blood to survive, but it’s been discovered that animal blood is a perfectly acceptable replacement for human blood. Should a vampire break the laws, they’re to be taken into custody and they’re imprisoned in a newly built prison that is specifically for magical creatures. Given that vampires are immortal they don’t want to be imprisoned for the entirety of their immortal lives and would rather die than be captured, which always results in a fight to the death.”

“Over my dead body,” he said seriously, his body stiffening and his hands clenched into tight fists. “There’s not a chance in hell I’m letting you anywhere near a vampire. I’m not letting you get hurt.”

“Calm down, I didn’t say I would be the one to fight it, now did I?” She said, sending him a less than pleased look for his outburst. She rose to her feet and pointed her wand, muttering, “ _Expecto Patromun_ ,” and the blue-silver otter burst from her wand in a mist of smoke, before she sent it off with a message to the American RCMC Department.

“I’ll explain what that was later, but I’ve sent it to my government with news of what we’ve discovered. Someone should be here in less than an hour. They will track the vampire responsible and ensure the situation is dealt with.”

He calmed at her words and rose to his full height, but worry still swam through his dark eyes as they moved between her and the dead body on the ground.

“Seriously, Derek, I’ve done my part and now we just have to...” Her voice trailed off and her eyes focused on a spot over his shoulder, widening slightly before a hardened and determined look crossed her face.

“Just have to what?” He questioned, bringing his arms up and crossing them over his chest.

“Derek?” She said, her voice soft, calm and quiet. “Derek, get behind me and don’t do anything stupid.”

“Excuse me?” He replied with a cocked eyebrow.

“Derek, get behind me and don’t do anything stupid,” she repeated, still not looking at him and he saw her grip her wand tighter.

“What? Why?” He frowned.

He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and a strange feeling washed over him, putting him on edge and unsettling the wolf in side of him. He felt his protective instincts towards Hermione and the baby flare up and his body tensed. Slowly, he twisted his body to look behind him and that’s when he saw it, a man.

The first thing he noticed was the clothing he wore; it was strange and certainly not something he’d see anyone in Beacon Hills wearing. They almost looked old fashioned, as if he’d come from the past itself. He then noticed the deathly pale skin, the short, black hair slicked back and the fangs that were on show. The blood red eyes of the man were watching them both carefully, hungrily, like a predator. But what this vampire didn’t realise was that he was a predator, too.

Even if he hadn’t known what he was thanks to Hermione’s explanation, it wouldn’t have taken him long to figure it out.

“Get behind me,” Hermione repeated once more but her voice a little louder this time.

Derek barely spared her a glance -not wanting to take his eyes off the vampire- as he turned his body to face the vampire and he stepped closer to Hermione, making sure she was stood behind him and protected by his larger, stronger frame. He clenched his hands into tight firsts, preparing to pull the wolf forward in order to protect Hermione and their baby.

He heard Hermione huff in annoyance but paid it no mind, his eyes locked in a gaze with the vampire who titled his head, watching him curiously.

“We know what you are, and you obviously know what I am,” Hermione spoke from behind him, and he was glad that she was allowing him to protect her even if she was annoyed by it, but the baby came before her pride. “You have two options, you can come quietly and allow me to transport you to a holding cell, where your cooperation will help to reduce your sentence should you be proven guilty of harming a human, or, you decide you’d rather die than be captured.”

“I prefer the third option,” the vampire replied smoothly, a slight southern accent to his voice.

“There is no third option,” Hermione said calmly.

“I kill you both and I gorge myself on your blood.”

“As I said, there is no third option.”

Before Derek had the chance to blink Hermione darted out from behind him and to the side, a muttered word leaving her wand and catching the vampire around the ankles as he bolted towards them. Even he found it difficult to keep up with the super speed so he wasn’t sure how Hermione had been able to.

The vampire crashed to the ground and he felt Hermione’s hand wrap around his arm before she twisted on her heel and he found himself leaning against a tree for support at the top of the hill, whilst Hermione rummaged around inside her backpack, her eyes moving between the contents of the bag and the struggling vampire who appeared to be trying to rip off the invisible restraints from around his ankles.

Once the nausea had passed, he quickly moved to stand beside Hermione, keeping watch over the vampire and preparing to defend them both if he had to, but whatever Hermione had done was keeping him occupied for now.

Just as the vampire seemed to break free of whatever Hermione’s spell had done and he snarled in anger and raced up the hill towards them, Hermione eyes lit up as she found what she was looking for. She removed three stone-like crystals from the bag and threw them in the air, a beam of light jetting out of her wand and hitting one of the crystals and ricocheting onto the other two.

Much to his surprise and awe, two of the crystals fell to the ground with a heavy thud and embedded themselves into the mud until they could no longer be seen. He clenched his fists tightly and held his breath as the vampire suddenly lunged for them, only for him to slam into an invisible barrier and the third and final crystal crashed to the ground. An electric buzzing sound could be heard and a blue-hued dome was visible around the vampire. He could see the vampire talking and snarling but it was as though the sound couldn’t pass through the dome and neither could he.

He turned to look at Hermione, his eyes questioning and his guard still up.

“Vampire containment wards,” she explained. “They won’t last long as I was forced to cast the wards without enough time to properly set the magic into the crystals, hopefully, an agent will arrive before the magic wears off.” She leaned against a tree and he noticed that she both looked and sounded tired. “I’m fine,” she told him after seeing his worried look and he took a step closer to her. “It’s been a while since I’ve had to cast wards such as those and they’re a complicated bit of magic, it takes quite a bit out of you and I’m already tired from the walking we’ve done and the pregnancy.”

He opened his mouth to speak when a sharp ‘crack’ was heard and he startled at the noise, immediately taking a defensive position and his eyes darted about, looking for the one responsible.

“Relax, it’s the agent,” she told him. “They’ll take care of the body and the vampire.” She lifted her wand and shot off red sparks to show her location and minutes later, two agents, both male, appeared in their line of sight.

Hermione pushed away from the tree and made to climb back down the hill, shaking her head when Derek made to follow after her. It was clear he wasn’t pleased for her to be with two men alone but he did respect her wishes, but that didn’t mean he didn’t listen to Hermione conversing with the two wizards, listening and watching for any signs of trouble or danger.

Barely ten minutes later she and the two wizards shook hands and she quickly climbed back up the hill, picked up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder before untying Magic from the tree and picking him up in her arms, uncaring for the way he covered her in mud. She then took a hold of Derek’s arm and without warning, for the second time that day, she apparated them to just outside the cottage.

He leaned over with his hands on his knees, regaining his bearings and he heard Hermione casting spells over Magic to remove the majority of the mud and dirt from him before she touched her wand to the door and it swung open. Silently, she walked inside and with a flick of her wand removed both of their muddy shoes and she stalked through the cottage and to the bathroom.

She wasted no time in putting Magic in the bath, using a few charms to help with the removing of the mud and making him smell nice and when he was cleaner than thought possible, she dried him off and allowed him his freedom. She cleaned away the mess he’d left behind and then went to her bedroom where she removed her muddy clothes and not caring for the time of day, it only being around lunch, she put on some pyjamas and climbed into bed, needing some sleep.

Unfortunately, sleep wouldn’t come to her and she tossed and turned to get herself more comfortable before sighing in defeat.

“I know you’re there, Derek,” she said aloud.

She heard the floorboards creak before her bedroom door was pushed open, revealing a worried-looking Derek who had cleaned up and changed into other clothing.

“How’d you know I was there?” He questioned.

“I’m not stupid,” she replied. “And I’m fine.”

“We found a dead body that was killed by a vampire that wanted to _and_ tried to kill us.”

“Surprisingly, that’s tame for what I’m used to dealing with.” Her answer didn’t placate him in the slightest and she knew it by the look on his face. “Honestly, I’m fine, just tired,” she sighed, closing her eyes and trying to get comfortable again. She could feel his stare on her and she grumbled in annoyance before shifting in bed once more and lifting the duvet in invitation. “I want to sleep and it’s obvious you’re so worried about what happened that you don’t want to leave me alone, even if we are in the same building. Just get in and stay quiet.”

There were a few moments of silence before she heard his footsteps and he hesitantly climbed into bed, draping the blanket over his lap and sitting up with his back pressed against the headboard.

She did her best to ignore the feeling of his eyes watching her face, and having his steady breathing beside her, it helped to lull her into sleep.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 13

Four days after the vampire incident in the woods found Hermione trudging into her kitchen half asleep, clad in her pyjamas and with Magic and Crookshanks following at her heels.

The last few days had been strange for her, and all because of Derek Hale.

It seemed that the vampire incident had totally freaked him out and he’d become more protective over her since it’d happened, and it’d been driving her insane.

After waking from her nap a few hours later on that day, she’d done so to discover that not only were Magic and Crookshanks asleep and curled up against each other at the end of her bed, but that Derek had fallen asleep too, and he’d apparently wrapped himself around her. She’d woken on her side facing away from him and he’d been behind her, his chest pressed up against her back with his arm thrown over her waist and his hand pressed intimately against her stomach underneath her pyjamas, holding him to her possessively. His face had been buried against her neck, his nose pressed against her skin and his breathing unsettling a fallen curl.

She’d been more than surprised at their intimate position and she’d tried to pull away from him several times, but each time had been a failure as he’d just pull her back to him and his hold on her would tighten. In the end, she’d given up and just laid in silence waiting for him to wake, and when she heard the change in his breathing, she forcibly slowed down her own and pretended to be asleep so she wouldn’t have to face him.

Her breath had almost hitched in surprise when the first thing he’d done was nuzzle at her skin, breathing in her scent and a sigh of content left him, his warm breath tickling her. She’d held still and forced herself to remain calm as to not give herself away. It had taken all but eight seconds –she knew, she’d counted- for him to realise what he was doing and where he was and his body stiffened against hers before he let out another sigh and he released his hold on her, silently climbing out of bed and leaving the room. She’d waited another twenty minutes before giving up the ruse of sleep, thinking she’d been faking long enough and it was no longer suspicious of her to leave her room not long after he had.

She’d headed to the bathroom before making her way to the kitchen, her intentions being to make a start on dinner seeing as they’d both sleep through lunch and she was starving. She’d found Derek sitting at the kitchen table, flipping through one of her textbooks on the history of magic in Britain, sipping at a glass of water and snacking on a bag of crisps. He’d glanced at her for all but a second, giving her a nod of greeting before returning to his book in silence. The rest of the evening was much the same, silence and reading.

The days that followed were different; he was no longer silent, rather it seemed to be the exact opposite. He pulled her into conversation as often as possible. He always seemed to be behind her, following after her, but he did his best to hide it. If she stood to go to the bathroom, he’d follow after her and duck into his own room, and when she exited, he’d leave his bedroom with a book in his hand and follow her back to the living room. If she went into the kitchen to make herself something to eat, he’d follow her with the excuse that he wanted a drink.

He’d follow her to the library and choose a book, sitting down opposite her but he never once looked at the words in front of him, his eyes were always on her. When they went for a walk through the woods, he barely left her side and he was always ready to catch her when she tripped, which she did often. He wouldn’t allow her anywhere near where they’d found the body and he seemed to be determined to keep her as far away from the area as possible. He got antsy if they were out for more than an hour and they always had to return to the cottage. When night fell and Hermione retired to bed, she knew he was standing outside her door until she fell asleep and he returned to his own room.

He wouldn’t let her out of his sight, and it was driving her insane, which is why she was surprised that morning when he entered the kitchen a few minutes after she did, and he sat at the table, watching her as she prepared breakfast and he spoke his first words of the day.

“I have something I need to do today,” he said.

She stopped stirring her tea and turned her head to look over her shoulder at him. “Okay,” she said confused, wondering why he was telling her that. He didn’t need her permission to do whatever he wished to do.

“I just thought I’d let you know,” he said.

She frowned and turned around, leaning back against the counter with her arms folded over her chest and his eyes darted down to her stomach when her t-shirt rode up slightly, revealing a small amount of her pale skin.

“You don’t need my permission to leave, Derek. You’re a big werewolf and you can take care of yourself. I’d never dream of telling you what to do.”

He snorted at her for her comment and he clasped his hands on top of the kitchen table and leaned forward, his dark eyes refusing to break their stare.

“I know that, I’m just letting you know that I won’t be around for most of the day.”

His eyes fell down to her stomach and she sighed, bringing her hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose, understanding dawning on her. What he meant was ‘he wouldn’t be around to protect her.’ 

“I’m a big witch, Derek, I can take care of myself, pregnant or not,” she rolled her eyes, before turning back around to add a little milk to her tea and doing the same to his coffee.

“I didn’t say you couldn’t, but I don’t want you traipsing through the woods by yourself whilst I’m gone.”

“As I said, I’m a big witch and I can take care of myself. If I want to go traipsing through the woods, then I will. I’m not stupid, my instincts are better than most given what I’ve gone through in my life, and I’d have Magic with me. He’d alert me to something I might have missed.”

“Hermione, I’m being serious, I don’t want you in the woods alone,” he said, his voice deepening in a way that reminded her of an Alpha.

She gripped the spoon in her hand tightly and she took a deep, calming breath, centring her magic to prevent her from having an emotional magical outburst in her anger and annoyance. There’s a reason a witch’s magic’s so volatile when they’re pregnant. Her body’s the conductor of two different magical signatures and they often clash and react when they come into contact, resulting in accidental and emotional magical outbursts.

“What are you doing?” He asked her.

She took a final deep breath and exhaled, feeling her magic settling back down.

“Nothing,” she lied, once more stirring her tea and removing the tea bag, throwing it into the bin.

She placed both mugs on the kitchen table and went back over to the counter to remove the toast from the toaster and she buttered it, placing it on the plates with the bacon and scrambled eggs she’d already made.

“Hermione, I don’t want you in the woods on your own,” he repeated.

“Yes, Mr. Repetitive, I heard the first time you said it, and for the sake of avoiding an argument you will undoubtedly lose, I promise to not go hiking today, but I’m not promising that I’ll stay in the cottage. I haven’t actually been into town yet and I need some supplies, so I may go for a visit and Magic needs his walk, too.” He narrowed his dark eyes on her suspiciously. “My word is my bond, Derek. If I make a promise, I keep it.”

She sipped at her cup of tea and then picked up her toast, nibbling on the end of it. He nodded, apparently satisfied that she wasn’t lying to him and he took a swig of his coffee and also made a start on his toast.

“Aren’t you going to ask where it is I’m going?” He asked her with a cocked eyebrow.

“No, it’s none of my business. I might be curious but you’re entitled to your privacy as well as I am. Should you want to share it with me, then I’ll listen, otherwise, I’ll keep my nose to myself.”

He snorted at her. “You’re not like other women, are you?”

“Just now figuring that out, are you? What part of I’m a magical witch that works with imaginary creatures and is pregnant with a werewolf-wizarding baby do you not understand?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

His mouth pulled into a smile. “To be honest with you, most of it.” She snorted at him and sipped at her tea. “It’s been two weeks and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the direction my life has taken.”

“Welcome to the club,” she said, lifting her mug in cheers and he chuckled at her, shaking his head.

“Well, seeing as you didn’t ask, I’m going to tell you.”

“How very generous, Mr. Hale,” she said.

“I’m heading out of town to meet with a friend, a fellow werewolf from another pack. Our families have been allies for as long as I can remember, probably even before my birth. We meet once a year to confirm that our allegiance remains with each other, but, we’ve already had that meeting this year.”

“Alright, now I’m intrigued,” she said, putting down her mug and giving him her full attention.

An amused smile pulled at his mouth. “We only meet more than once when there’s trouble brewing and we need help with a problem.”

“And this problem is?” She questioned.

“I don’t know; that’s what I’m going to find out today.”

“Well, that was disappointing, I was hoping for a bit of gossip,” she said and he snorted at her. “Well, whatever it is, be careful, I won’t be there to protect you.”

He snorted once more. “Whatever you say, Witch,” he replied amused.

He stood from the table and walked over to the counter to retrieve the tomato sauce from the cupboard above before he retook his seat and covered his eggs and bacon in the sauce. The moment the smell hit Hermione, she darted from her chair, out of the kitchen and to the bathroom, where she fell to the floor and threw up into the toilet.

Footsteps followed behind her, she briefly heard the door creaking as it was pushed open and she felt one hand pull her hair back from her face, while the other rubbed circles on her back as Derek crouched behind her.

“You alright?” He asked softly.

She went to reply only to throw up once more, feeling his presence surrounding her comfortingly.

“You should leave, I can’t imagine the smell being pleasant for you, hell, it’s making me feel worse,” she muttered, pressing her forehead against the arm that was flung over the toilet seat.

“I said I’d be here for you and I meant it,” he replied. “Actually, this is the first time I’ve seen your morning sickness make an appearance since moving in with you,” she could hear the frown in his voice. “I thought you said you get it bad.”

“I do,” she sighed, holding her breath when another wave of nausea hit her. “But I haven’t had any bad episodes since you moved in. I’ve still been getting morning sickness nearly every day, it’s just been happening before breakfast when you’re still asleep. The tomato sauce seems to have been the trigger.”

“Sorry,” he apologised guiltily.

“Don’t be,” she waved him off with her other hand. “It’s not your fault; you didn’t know it would happen and neither did I. At any rate, I’m feeling better now,” she said, lifting her head from her arm to look at him over her shoulder.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes....No,” she shook her head before she threw up once more. His hand didn’t stop rubbing comforting circles on her back nor did he let go of her hair.

She groaned and held her forehead against her arm once more, and she felt his hands leave her body and she snuck a peek to see him reaching over to the sink where he retrieved a stray bobble that was left on the side. He took it and pulled Hermione’s hair back and he tied it up into a ponytail for her, keeping her hair out of her face.

Feeling better, she reached over to the flush the toilet and Derek disappeared from her side only to return with a glass of water. She took it gratefully and swilled out her mouth.

“Feeling better?” He asked with concern in his voice.

“I think it’s over,” she nodded tiredly and leaned back into the wall beside her.

He took the glass from her before she squeaked in surprise when she found herself being hauled off the ground and into his arms. He stood and held her against his chest and her hands quickly wound around his neck out of instinct, as he made the short distance from the bathroom to her bedroom at the end of the hallway.

“What are you doing?” She asked him. “I’m perfectly capable of walking.”

“I’m not risking it,” he told her.

“That wasn’t even a bad case of morning sickness.”

“That makes me feel a lot better, thank you,” he said sarcastically as he pushed her bedroom door open with his foot and he stepped inside, depositing Hermione on the bed and covering her with the blanket. “You’re going to stay in bed until you’re sure you’re feeling better,” he told her.

“Oh, am I now?” She questioned with a narrowed gaze.

“Yes, you are, no room for argument,” he replied.

He gave a sudden whistle and Hermione scowled when Magic bounded into the room and jumped up onto the bed, draping himself over her lap so she wouldn’t be able to get up even if she wanted to.

“Make sure she doesn’t leave for at least an hour, you got that, Magic?” Derek said to her puppy.

The boisterous puppy barked loudly and reached over to lick at his hand. Derek’s mouth pulled into a smile and he scratched Magic behind the ears.

“I’m not sure I like this new camaraderie between you and my dog,” she told him, crossing her arms in a sulk.

He chuckled at her and her moody pout. “Tough, he recognises me as his Alpha and he’ll do anything I tell him.”

“Even keeping me prisoner?”

“Especially keeping you prisoner,” he confirmed, amused at her huff of indignation. “It’s the pack mentality. Protect the female and the pup at all costs.”

“Well I don’t like it,” she huffed.

“Tough luck, it’s for your health.”

“You’re a furry pain in the arse,” she scowled.

He snorted at her. “Well, I’ve been called worse.”

“Oh, I have plenty of insults lined up,” she promised.

“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t,” he said amused.

“You want to hear them? I assure you, I don’t mind sharing,” she glared at him.

“Maybe later, right now I have to get going otherwise I’ll be late.” He petted Magic one last time before heading for the door. “I mean it, you’re to stay in bed for at least an hour,” he said, looking at her over his shoulder.

“Yes, Sir,” she said, mock saluting him and he smirked as he heard the insults that followed once he’d left the room. He had to admit, she certainly was creative.

“I can hear you,” he called back.

“I know, I said it out loud, you were meant to hear it!” She shouted.

He chuckled as he grabbed his leather jacket from his bedroom and left the cottage, making his way to the edge of the woods where his car was hidden.

~000~000~000~

Much to Hermione’s annoyance, Magic didn’t once budge from her lap until well after an hour and when she was finally free, she made her way back to the bathroom in a huff, before stripping off her pyjamas and stepping into the hot spray of the shower.

A sudden zing of heat shot down to her nether region when she caught the smell of Derek’s shower gel perched on the windowsill by her own wash products, and she was forced to take a calming breath.

She’d lied to Derek when he’d asked her if she’d been having any other symptoms and he made sure to ask her every other day just to be sure. From the moment she’d laid eyes on him again at his old house, her hormones had taken hold of her, driving her crazy as the craving for sex suddenly became an issue.

As soon as she’d set eyes on him, she’d been reminded of their night together and all the things he’d done to her body. He’d made her purr like a bloody kitten; he’d made her sing like a hummingbird; he’d made her whimper like a wounded puppy, and she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

There was no denying she was attracted to him, she wouldn’t have slept with him if she wasn’t, but being around him constantly was only making the situation worse. She could always smell the scent of his shower gel after he’d used the shower, she could always smell his scent of nature and outdoors lingering in the air. His proximity raised her body temperature and she always felt as though she were on fire. His voice sent shivers down her spine and his dark eyes made her weak in the knees, and her hormones certainly weren’t helping matters.

She’d almost died when she found him pressed against her so tightly and intimately that day she’d woken up to him holding her, his body to hers, feeling the heat of him and his muscled frame even through clothing.

She wanted him again, and she wanted it badly. She didn’t know how he hadn’t picked up on her pheromones, especially when he walked around without a shirt on, leaving his sculpted torso free to her gaze. Maybe he had noticed but was too polite to broach the subject; she shook her head at the thought. If he’d noticed he’d definitely say something.

So the only other option had to be she was successfully hiding it from him, which she was thankful for. She did her best to control her breathing and heartbeat whenever he was nearby, she did her best not to stare when he was shirtless. She always squeezed her thighs together tightly when she felt a tingling and she willed it away with everything she had in her.

She’d been doing so well, too, up until earlier on when he’d picked her up and he’d carried her back to her room. His scent invaded her nose making her feel lightheaded, his voice had reverberated in his chest and she’d felt it as she was pressed so closely against him. His hands had been touching her bare skin, one of them the small of her back and the other her upper thigh where her shorts hadn’t covered.

He was the reason she wore shorts to bed in the first place, having dreams of him touching her body and the heat it brought her making it difficult to sleep. She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to take the torture that was Derek Bloody Hale and his unnatural handsome self.

She squeezed her thighs together when another zing of heat shot through her and she gritted her teeth in annoyance. Bloody hell, she had to do something to relieve herself or she’d burst!

She sighed, residing herself to the fact she’d just have to deal with it herself, and if she were being honest, it wouldn’t be the first time she’d done so, especially since she’d met Derek. She’d lost count of how many times she’d fantasised about him when needing to give herself a little bit of stress relief, as it was, she already knew how it felt to be with him, to be touched by him, to be the centre of his attention, and that just made her fantasies all the more vivid.

Stepping further under the heat of the shower spray and allowing it to soak through her hair and warm her body, her hand slipped down her stomach and moved south towards the place that needed attention the most, thoughts of the handsome, pain in the arse werewolf filling her mind.

~000~000~000~

Derek had spent the last hour and a half driving towards the meeting point which was to be a busy cafe with lots of witnesses, as his friend had instructed. Thankfully the location was closer to Beacon Hills than it was his friend, as Derek knew he had a three hour drive ahead of him.

The drive had been quiet with the radio being the only sound in the car and he was glad when he parked his car and stepped out of it, finally having the opportunity to stretch out his legs after what seemed like a long drive.

He quickly caught sight of the one he was meeting, sitting at a table in front of the window with two cups of coffee sat on the table. He observed him for a moment, seeing his blonde shaggy hair looking in need of a haircut, or at the very least, being brushed. His skin looked paler than usual, almost sickly in fact, and his blue eyes looked weary and tired. He fidgeted in his seat, his eyes darting about as though he were expecting someone to attack him at any moment. His clothes looked rumpled, as though he’d fallen asleep in them and just woken up.

Derek frowned; this wasn’t the James he knew, this was someone else entirely. The James he knew was so optimistic and happy that he gave you a headache if you were around him for too long. The James he knew was always well put together, never a hair out of place or a crease in sight. The James he knew was easy going and worriless. It certainly wasn’t the person he was watching now, which instantly put him on edge. Something was wrong.

He locked up the car and slipped his keys into his jacket pocket before heading to the cafe and over to James. A look of relief crossed his friend’s face, some of the anxiety melting away and he gave him a small smile as he stood to greet him. They shared a quick hug before Derek took the only chair available across from his friend and he took the coffee gratefully.

“Alright, what’s the problem?” He said, seeing no point in beating around the bush. “You look like hell.”

James snorted. “Thanks, that’s just what I needed to hear,” he said.

Derek shrugged his shoulders and took a swig from his coffee. “I’ve never lied to you before; I see no point in starting now.”

“You’ve always been brutally honest,” he said amused before he shook his head. “I need your help.”

“I thought you might,” Derek nodded. “What’s the problem?”

James ran a hand through his hair. “About a month ago, my cousin Robbie disappeared.” Derek nodded, showing that he remembered him. “We thought nothing of it, he disappears all the time, but he usually turns up after a few days and when it hit a week later, we began to worry. A few days later, Robbie’s sister, Ronnie disappeared, and it’s out of character for her. She’s only fourteen and didn’t come home from school.”

Alarm bells were ringing in Derek’s head; he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“A week ago, Robbie’s body was found twenty miles from his house. I was sent to give the site a quick once over, see if I could find anything the police had missed, and I did, I found this.” He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a silver bullet which he placed on the table. “From what I can tell, it contains mountain ash and I found it embedded in a tree a quarter-mile from the crime scene. There’s signs of torture and him being held somewhere else, but he was killed where he was found. Obviously he tried to escape but didn’t manage it. You know what this means?”

Derek nodded and sighed, he knew where all the points led to. “Hunters,” he spoke.

“Hunters,” James confirmed. “Not only is Ronnie still unaccounted for, we received word a few days ago that another of my cousins, Connor, has also gone missing. He didn’t come home from work. He’s got a wife and kid waiting for him. Whoever this is, they obviously know who we are and they’re deliberately targeting my family for reasons we don’t know. As far as we’re aware, not a single member of the pack has harmed a human, nor have they revealed their identity to anyone that isn’t already in the know.”

“And you need my help in tracking this hunter down and finding Ronnie and Connor?” Derek said.

James nodded. “You’ve the most experience with hunters, you know how they think.”

“Don’t remind me,” he muttered.

He ran a hand through his hair, feeling himself growing agitated, but it wasn’t for himself or what he was about to walk into, no, it was for Hermione. He was likely to be away from her for a few days at least, and he didn’t like the thought of leaving her alone, leaving her unprotected. The wolf in him couldn’t allow it but they had no choice. He’d been called by an ally and if he didn’t do everything he could to help, the allegiance between the packs would be severed.

He knew she could more than handle herself, she’d proved that when she’d taken on the vampire and won, even when he hadn’t been able to keep up with the vampire’s speed, but still, he didn’t want to leave her alone, and he admitted to himself that it wasn’t just because of his fear for her safety or the baby.

It was because he knew he’d miss her. He’d been around her constantly for over a week now and he’d grown used to her intoxicating smell – her scent being that of nature, of the fruity shampoo she used, and most of all, _him_. She smelled like him!

He’d grown used to her calming voice, to her infectious laughter and her smart arse, witty comments, and he was sure she’d be able to give Stiles a run for his money. In fact, he’d happily bet his entire fortune on it. He’d grown used to her noises of irritation, to her snorts of amusement and her squeaks of surprise when she was startled or when she tripped over and he was forced to step in and prevent her from falling. He’d grown used to their easy conversations and the reading in silence until she fell asleep in the armchair, her even breathing and relaxed facial expression making him feel calm and peaceful in a way he hadn’t before.

He’d grown used to Hermione Granger, and he would definitely miss her. Who’d have thought his life would’ve taken the direction it had? For him to have a one night stand with a woman –a freaking witch- that happened to be moving to the place he called home and for her to fall pregnant before doing so? For her to track him down and completely turn his life upside down, but also giving him a second chance at having a family, a pack? For her to actually be kind and understanding and completely unaffected by his dark past, as she had a past herself that was equally as troubling? For him to actually grow to like her?

He blinked at that and shook his head slightly, before realising that it was true. He _liked_ her. Not just as a person, not as a friend, but as a potential romantic interest. After all, she was already carrying a child they’d created together, and what fun that had been, he thought with his mouth twitching.

He’d never met someone like her before. As far as he could tell, she didn’t care what others thought of her. She didn’t mind poking fun at herself –or him for that matter- and as far as he knew, she’d been dealing with the pregnancy and him being in her life quite well. After all, not only had his life changed but so had hers. He knew her to have a new job and that had been jeopardised the moment she’d discovered she was pregnant. Yet she’d taken the news like a trooper and she was getting on with her life, not letting her change in circumstances hold her back.

He was attracted her, of course, he was. He wouldn’t have slept with her if he hadn’t been and in all honesty, despite there having been a few beautiful women at the bar that night, she’d caught his attention the moment she’d walked into the bar. Her scent of honey and strawberries invading his nose, even from the distance between them, even before she’d entered the bar actually. He’d caught the scent of her long before she’d entered the bar, having smelt it in the elevator, and when she did walk in, dressed in a simple black dress, her hair being pulled back into a wild bun and her makeup being minimal, he’d been floored by her beauty. He’d meant what he’d said to her that day at the house, she was beautiful, even with muddy clothing, dirty hands and messy hair.

God! Her hair! He’d loved having his hands in it and he’d been hard-pressed to remove them from the soft, long strands curling around his fingers as he’d kissed her into a tizzy. And don’t even get him started on her lips, they’d been soft and warm and inviting, and her body the same. Crushed beneath him she’d been small and had fit against him perfectly and her nails had dug into his shoulders and raked at his back, whilst she’d nipped and bit at him with her teeth. Yes, he was definitely attracted to her.

Living with her had been driving him insane. Her smell always swarmed the air, surrounding him. Her voice and laughter were always ringing in his ears. Her touch set his body on fire and had his wolf practically purring in delight. It was difficult to stop himself from just grabbing her and holding her to him, and he’d done so a few times being unable to stop himself. The most memorable time being when he’d fallen asleep with her little body held tightly against his own and he’d woken up to her in his arms. He couldn’t remember a time he’d felt so at ease.

He wanted her, he _really_ wanted her, but she’d shown no signs of being interested in him other than her kindness and understanding of his wolf being the protective pain in the arse he was. And he knew he was a pain in the arse, which only made him respect her more for putting up with him. He’d deliberately walk around without a shirt on, hoping to catch her staring at him, but he never did. He deliberately invaded her personal space in hopes he would gain a reaction from her, but he never did.

As a result, he’d taken to giving himself a helping hand in the shower, being as quiet as possible not to alert her to what he was doing. It wasn’t hard to come up with something to visualise, after all, it was always her he was thinking about. And since he’d been with her, since he knew what she felt like, how soft and responsive she’d been to his touch, his thoughts were more vivid than that of someone thinking about a crush or celebrity.

“Derek?”

“What?” He shook out of his thoughts. “What?” He repeated, seeing James staring at him with a narrowed gaze.

“You zoned out on me. Obviously your mind’s elsewhere, so out with it,” he said.

“I’m fine,” he brushed him off.

“No, you’re not, if you were you wouldn’t have been ignoring me for the last five minutes. Something’s obviously on your mind and I know you’re not going to be able to focus until you deal with it, so tell me. Once you do we can focus on tracking down these hunters.”

Derek sighed and ran his hand through his hair once more, before leaning back into his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn’t getting out of it; James was like a wolf with a bone when it came to these things.

“Fine, I’ve got someone back home waiting for me and I don’t like the thought of leaving her.”

A true smile lit James’ face in a way that it did before he was under the stress of hunters targeting his family.

“Oh yeah?” He wriggled his eyebrows and Derek snorted at him.

“It’s not what you think, well, maybe it is,” he sighed.

“I’m confused,” his friend frowned.

“Alright, listen, you can’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you.” James nodded and sat forward, a sign of his curiosity. “A few months ago I met this woman at a bar in Washington D.C and we slept together, but a couple of weeks ago, I discovered that not only had she been transferred in her job to Beacon Hills before we’d even met, but she was pregnant.”

“Right?” James said slowly.

Derek rolled his eyes. “She’s pregnant, with _my_ baby.”

James’ eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, showing his shock. “Holy shit!” He whispered in surprise, before shaking his head. “You sure it’s yours?”

James shrank back at the dark glare Derek sent his way, a slight growl rumbling in the back of his throat at the other werewolf’s insinuations.

“Yes, I’m sure,” he spoke, his voice deepening in warning. “She told me she’d only slept with two people in her life, her ex-boyfriend who’d she’d been with for five years, and me. And not only does the time frame match up perfectly, but my scent’s all over her. I can _smell_ the baby’s mine.”

“Okay, sorry,” James apologised. “I didn’t mean anything by it, but given how protective you were of her just then, I’m going to say there’s more to the story of her just being your baby momma.”

Derek sent him a withering look and James just sniggered in reply. “Fine, I like her, I admit it. She’s different to other women. She’s beautiful and smart and witty, and hell, I’ve never heard someone make fun of me the way she does, especially of my wolf.”

“She knows?” He said, his eyes widening once more.

He nodded. “It turns out she’s known about werewolves since she was a child. Despite being human, when she was a child she was part of a wolf pack but when her Alpha died the pack bond was severed. She knew what I was even before she found me and told me about the pregnancy. I admit, I’m a pain in the ass...”

“Don’t I know it,” James muttered, and Derek childishly kicked him in the shin under the table.

“My point is she’s understanding of my wolf needing to keep her in my line of sight, of my wolf needing to keep her safe and she even allowed me to move into her house without complaint so I can watch over her. She’s got more werewolf related jokes than I don’t know what. She’s made jokes about her mood swings being worse than mine at the full moon, and when I told her that I thought her cat wanted to bite me, she told me to bite him back, not to mention she threatens to bite me at least twice a day.”

James snorted in amusement. “Alright, I think I like this chick.” Derek glared at him. “Calm down, I said I liked her, not that I wanted her for myself especially when you’ve so clearly got a thing for her and she’s carrying your baby,” he held his hands up in surrender. “So, how far along is she? Is she showing yet? Do you think the baby will be like us?”

“She’s eleven weeks along and she’s not showing yet, and she’s convinced the baby will be like me, but I think so, too. Every day her scent’s getting stronger and she’s smelling more and more like me, like a wolf.”

“You’ve got a pack again,” James spoke, a smile pulling at his mouth.

“I’ve got a pack again and it’s all because of her.”

“Well, you seem to be happy so I’m happy for you. And now that I know what’s got you so wrapped up in your thoughts, let’s get this over with so you can get back to her.”

Derek nodded, before he frowned. He had to contact Hermione to let her know what was happening so she wouldn’t worry, but how was he going to do that?

The only thought that came to mind was to contact Scott and ask him to deliver a message. If there was one person he could count on to do that, it was him. Without thought, he pulled his cell from his pocket and dialled Scott’s number.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 12

Hermione had been walking around the town of Beacon Hills for a little over an hour. She’d already completed the errands she’d needed to and now she was walking down the street, enjoying the sun as she leisurely did some window shopping with Magic pulling her along.

He’d stopped her a few times for him to sniff at a fire hydrant or a bin, and even when a mother and a small child walked past because he wanted kisses and cuddles. It was fair to say, Magic had made the crying child’s day when he bestowed licks to the little toddler’s cheeks and the mother had looked grateful that her son had finally stopped crying.

Hermione had managed to pull Magic away and allowed the mother and son to go about their business and they continued with their exploration. It was a little after lunch when hunger struck Hermione and she found that she was craving some ice-cream, it was actually the first craving she’d had through her pregnancy, despite her nearly being finished with the first trimester which she was grateful for. She didn’t know how much longer she could put up the morning sickness.

They came to a diner and the smell of the food hitting Hermione’s nose had her mouth watering, and she all but squealed when she saw the sign in the window saying ‘dogs are welcome.’ That was a first; she certainly couldn’t remember seeing such a food establishment in London allowing dogs entrance.

She bent down and picked Magic up in her arms so he wouldn’t disturb the customers whilst they were eating, and she entered into the diner, seeing the bright colours and feeling the welcoming atmosphere. Hermione happily made her way to the counter and perched herself on a stool. Magic was too big to sit on her lap so she placed him on the ground and he sat beside her obediently whilst she read through the menu.

After a few minutes, a kind old woman took her order and returned moments later with the chocolate milkshake she’d ordered and she happily took a sip, sighing as the wonderful taste helped to satisfy her craving.

“Miss. Granger?”

Hermione turned around with a slight frown before she caught sight of Scott McCall sat at a booth all but one down from her. A smile pulled at her mouth and she picked up her milkshake and hopped off her stool, walking over to the booth with Magic following beside her.

“Hello, Scott,” she smiled kindly. “And do I really look old enough to be referred to as ‘Miss. Granger?’” She asked.

“I, er...” He said nervously, worried he’d offended her.

“Relax, I’m just messing with you, however, in my experience, those younger than me tend to call me ‘Miss. Granger’ and on other occasions it’s when I’ve done something I shouldn’t have in school and I was being told off,” she chuckled.

He stared at her and she noticed that he wasn’t alone as he was sat beside another boy. This one gave off no aura whatsoever so she assumed he was human. He was slightly taller than Scott though not by much. He had short black hair that was spiked up at the front, light brown eyes and pale skin. He had a few freckles dotted about his face, a small mole on his left cheek and a slight upturn in his nose that actually made him look adorable, and he was watching her curiously.

“You may call me Hermione,” she said, and he looked relieved that he hadn’t offended her. “Say, shouldn’t you boys be at school?” She said with a raised eyebrow.

“Free period,” Scott shrugged.

“Are you allowed to leave school grounds during a free period?” She asked amused.

“Sure,” both teenagers answered and she chuckled at them.

“Unfortunately, I don’t believe that, but I’ll take your word for it and should anyone ask, I haven’t seen you.”

“What are you doing here?” Scott asked her.

Just as she was about to answer, her stomach gave a loud growl. She smiled sheepishly and placed a hand against her stomach. “I’m here to feed the little monster I have inside of me,” she replied and they both snorted.

“Do you want to sit with us?” Scott asked.

“Oh no, I wouldn’t want to interrupt,” she smiled at them.

“No, it’s fine, please sit with us,” the other teen said, his eyes staring at her in a way as though he’d met his idol and she got the feeling that maybe Scott’s friend has a little crush on her. She felt herself feeling flattered by it.

“If you insist,” she smiled, placing her milkshake down on the table and she slid into the bench opposite them, and much to Hermione’s embarrassment, Magic jumped up at Scott and barked in his face with his paws resting on his thigh. “Magic, get down,” she scolded him.

Scott chuckled and lifted his hand to scratch at the friendly puppy’s head while said puppy licked his face. “It’s alright,” he told her, and his laughter grew louder when Magic jumped onto his side of the bench, climbed over Scott’s lap and sat himself down on the bench in-between Scott and his friend.

Hermione scowled at her puppy and Scott laughed as he petted him. Seeing his friend leaning away from Magic slightly, Hermione unfolded her arms and turned her attention to him.

“He’s not going to hurt you, he’s a big softie,” she told the other teen.

“Right, it’s just animals aren’t really my thing,” he told her, eyeing the pup warily despite him all but licking Scott’s face to death.

“Seriously, Stiles, he’s the most playful and affectionate pup I’ve seen come into the clinic,” Scott said.

So that was his name, Stiles.

Hermione smiled when she saw the older woman approaching with the food she’d ordered and she thanked her when she placed it on the table and walked off. The two teens stared at the amount of food in surprise, before looking down at their own half-eaten dishes.

Unable to decide on what she wanted, she went for a little bit of everything and she was sure she’d be able to eat it all given her increase in appetite. She’d ordered a cheeseburger, fries, onion rings, a side of bacon, a small portion of macaroni and cheese and some ice-cream and jelly.

“It’s not all for me,” she told them being amused by their shocked expressions, and she removed the meat dish she’d ordered for Magic and placed it in front of him and he dug in straight away, as did Hermione.

“Why’d you move to Beacon Hills?” Stiles asked her, seemingly having relaxed now that her puppy was too busy eating to pay anyone attention and he picked at his own food.

“My job, I was headhunted and transferred here.”

“What is it you do?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?” He all but pouted and she snorted at him.

“I’d get in a lot of trouble if I did. All you need to know is that I work for my government.”

“ _Your_ government?” Scott picked up on.

“ _My_ government,” she confirmed.

“Are you a spy?” Stiles asked.

“Even if I were I wouldn’t be able to answer that question, but no, I’m not a spy,” she chuckled.

The questions continued in the same fashion and Hermione answered as honestly as she could while still being vague, and before they knew it and much to the teen’s surprise, Hermione had eaten everything.

“Right, do one of you want to explain the whole tipping thing to me because I don’t quite understand it?”

“I’ve got it,” Stiles said to Scott as he stood to use the bathroom.

Stiles took the receipt and the pen and began explaining the math behind it by using a napkin to show her how he’d worked it out, before totalling up the final bill.

“There, got it?” He asked.

She frowned down at the receipt. “Not really, no,” she admitted. She didn’t remember math being that hard in school.

He chuckled at her. “You’ll get the hang of it, and once you do, always make sure you check the math. It’s not unheard of for people to try and take advantage of you by giving themselves a large tip.”

“Okay, thank you,” she nodded before she stood and made her way to the counter to pay her bill.

By the time she returned Scott was sat at the booth and once more being licked to death by her puppy, and they agreed to watch him for her whilst she used the bathroom. When she returned, it was to see Scott on the phone and Stiles leaning close to him, trying to hear what was being said.

Hermione sat herself down on the bench and she frowned in confusion when Scott pulled the phone from his ear and held it out to her.

“It’s for you,” he said.

“Excuse me?” She questioned in surprise.

“It’s for you, Derek Hale,” he sounded just as surprised as she felt.

She frowned and took the phone from him, placing it against her ear as the two teens watched her carefully.

“Hello?” She said.

“Hermione, do I even want to know what you’re doing with Scott and that idiot, Stiles?” His voice came over the line.

“Name-calling already, Mr. Hale? I happen to quite like Stiles and should I need to, I’ll happily defend him against your uncreative insults,” she replied, noticing the way Stiles sat up straighter and Scott looked amused, but still confused.

He snorted. “I’m not surprised, didn’t you say something about being unable to help taking in strays.”

“I did, but I’d hardly call Stiles a stray, you’re a better fit to that category than he is,” she teased.

“I supposed you’re right,” he said so quietly so suspected he hadn’t meant for her to hear him.

“Anyway, I stopped by a diner for lunch and happened to bump into Scott and Stiles, that’s why I’m with them. Now, what’s going on?”

“I needed to contact you and the only way I could think of was by having Scott deliver a message, as it turns out, I no longer need him to.”

“So what’s this message?” She questioned, picking up her milkshake and taking a sip before sitting back against the backrest.

“I’m going to be gone longer than I thought.”

“Meaning?” She questioned, before sliding out of the booth and walking away from the table, subtly casting a _Silencio_ around herself to keep their conversation private.

He sighed. “I don’t like the thought of leaving you alone for so long, but this problem, it’s bad and it’s going to take a few days to fix, possibly longer.”

“Do you want to tell me what it is?” She asked him, and she was more than surprised when he did.

“My friend, three of his cousins have gone missing and one’s turned up dead. There’s a hunter targeting his family and he needs my help to track them down, stop them and find the others before it’s too late.”

Hermione gasped. “Merlin, that’s awful,” she whispered. “Do you need my help?”

“Help?”

“Yes, Derek, we don’t just keep tabs on supernatural beings, but we also have a system for known hunters. Am I to assume this hunter is going after a family of werewolves that hasn’t caused harm to a human?”

“As far as we’re aware,” he replied.

“That means that your friend’s family is likely to be on the protection list, and if they’re being targeted it’s a crime. If I contact The Ministry, they’ll send someone out to investigate, they’ll find the hunters responsible and they’ll be thrown in prison for the rest of their lives.”

“Just how many prisons do you people have?” He asked surprised.

“Several, one for magical creatures, one for wizarding folk, and one for hunters who break the peace treaty we work hard to maintain. They can hunt guilty supernatural beings all they like, but the moment they go after the innocent is the moment they forfeit their freedom and the hunter becomes the hunted.”

“You know, I’m starting to like your people.”

“Thanks, I think,” she snorted. “But do you want my help?”

“Let me deal with this first and if I don’t have anything in a few days, then you can bring your people in.”

“Okay, I understand you and your friend wanting to deal with this yourselves. Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

“Worried about me?” She heard the teasing in his voice.

“Yes, I am, very,” she admitted and she knew she’d surprised him by the silence on the other end of the phone. “These hunters have no problems harming innocents, so they won’t care if you get hurt either, and I’m not on my own anymore. We have to think about the baby, so be careful and come home to us.”

She heard the slight hitch in his breathing. “I will, I promise.”

“Good, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll meet you at a time and location of your choice in three day’s time, regardless if you’ve made progress or not. Having me on your side is one hell of an advantage, and if needs be, I’ve got Tracking Magic on my side.”

She knew by the silence that he was warring with himself. “Okay,” he said, surprising her that he’d actually agreed to it. “Three o’clock at Laurel’s Cafe on Friday.”

“Alright, I’ll see you then, and I mean it, be careful. I’m not above hexing you.”

He snorted at her. “That doesn’t surprise me, and please, stay away from the woods.”

“I will,” she promised, and he hung the phone up.

She removed the Silencing Charm from around herself and then walked back over to the teens and she handed the phone back to Scott.

“What was that about?” Stiles asked curiously.

“None of your business,” she replied. He scowled and Scott snorted.

“How do you know Derek?” Scott asked.

“That’s a long story, and to be honest, I haven’t known him long, but we’ve sort of been thrown together by circumstances neither of us saw coming,” she answered. “Anyway, I’m in a bit of a pickle and in a few days time, I need to leave town for a short absence. I don’t suppose one of you would mind dog sitting for me, of course, I’ll pay you, money’s no object.”

They both stared at her in surprise but Scott seemed happy to look after Magic, and she smiled in thanks.

“What about Snowball?” He asked, knowing the name she’d given the owl.

“Ah,” she said with a thoughtful frown. “I’d forgotten about him and my cat, too. Well, I shouldn’t be gone longer than a night. I can leave the window open for my cat, he’s fat but he can easily make the jump should he need to go out. I’ll just have to leave plenty of food out for them both. They’ll be fine, it’s Magic I’m worried about. Anyway, I best get going, so, it was nice to you again Scott, and it was nice to meet you, Stiles.” He gave her a goofy looking half-smile and she shook her head at him. “Come on then, Magic, let’s go home and check on the zoo.”

~000~000~000~

The three days passed agonisingly slow for Hermione. She’d barely left the cottage, if only to allow Magic out to use the bathroom, and she’d spent most of her time cooped up in the library working on a little side project to get keep herself distracted.

When Friday rolled around, she was so full of nerves she could hardly sit still, she hadn’t been able to keep her food down but she wasn’t sure if that was the morning sickness or the anxiety and the worrying about Derek. She hadn’t realised how much she’d missed him, how much she’d miss his presence in the cottage, how much she’d miss his overbearing, pain in the arse self always following her around and annoying her.

She’d come to terms with the fact she actually _liked_ him. He was different to other men she’d met, and he was certainly different from Ron, and she was glad she’d dodged a bullet with that one. Derek didn’t get angry when she teased and made fun of him, unlike Ron who always lost his temper and it would end in an argument, when Hermione had only been in a playful mood and wanted someone to spar with. Ron didn’t understand that.

Derek was smart, he picked things up quickly and he absorbed anything she told him or he’d read in her books like a sponge. He seemed to have a permanent broody look on his face, so when he laughed or smiled it was more genuine and his dark eyes lit up. He was protective of her, overly so in fact, but she knew it came from a place of worry for her and the baby, unlike Ron who was more possessive than he was protective.

Derek was calmer, she thought. He had a calming presence about him and she couldn’t help feel safe and cared for when he was around. It didn’t matter that it’d only been a few weeks since they met again, she couldn’t help the way she felt. Now, she just had to hide her feelings from Derek as she didn’t want to embarrass herself or make things awkward between them.

She shook her head when she heard her name being called and she looked up from the ground to see Scott and Stiles stepping out of a rather poor looking jeep, that had parts held together by duct tape.

A bubble of amusement flittered through her when she saw Stiles scowling at the car, before he slammed the door shut and then quickly apologised as if the car was alive and had feelings.

Hermione turned back to her own car, opened the door and Magic jumped out as she held his lead and retrieved the bag of essentials Scott would need, and then she met Scott halfway. They were meeting at the side of the road that was close to the woods where her cottage was located.

“Thank you again for doing this,” Hermione said.

“It’s no problem,” Scott replied with a chuckle when Magic jumped up at him, demanding attention. Hermione thought it funny how much Magic seemed to like the teen, but then again, she put it down to him being a werewolf.

“Alright, here’s everything you should need,” she told him, handing over the backpack and Scott took it and slung it over his shoulder. “He’s already toilet trained, he’s fed three times a day and you’ll find his food in the bag, along with his favourite blanket, chew toy and one of my jumpers which should calm him if he gets anxious.” Scott nodded. “He’s quite obedient and loves to explore the woods but we haven’t been out much the last few days. If you decide to take him for a walk, you can let him off his lead and he won’t go too far from you unless he sees a rabbit or a squirrel, or he finds a muddy puddle, and trust me, he’s an expert at that,” she sighed.

Scott snorted at her. “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine,” he said.

Hermione nodded. “I should be back by tomorrow evening but if I’m held up, I’ll have Derek let you know. As a precaution, there’s more than enough food to last a few days. And with that, I better go.”

She thanked Scott once more, before calling out to Stiles and giving him a wave as he still seemed to be having an argument with the car, before she climbed into her own and drove to the local library. She quickly found herself a computer and searched for Laurel’s Cafe on the internet. Several results were found but she assumed it would be the one closest to Beacon Hills, and by the looks of it that was a little in under two hours away. After printing a copy of a photograph taken of Laurel’s Cafe, Hermione left the library and returned to her cottage.

After making sure she’d left plenty of food and water for Crookshanks and Snowball, and she cracked open a window so her cat could leave if he wanted to, Hermione held the photograph in her hand and spun on her heel.

~000~000~000~

She landed on her feet and thankfully no one noticed her appearing out of nowhere in the car park. She looked around, not seeing Derek’s car and she frowned slightly knowing that it was almost three o’clock, their agreed-upon meeting time.

Her eyes searched her surroundings in case he was waiting for her and he didn’t want to risk being spotted or followed, after all, his car wasn’t exactly the type to go unnoticed. She walked over to the cafe and stepped inside, the smell of coffee and food instantly hitting her nose and she had to hold her breath as a wave of nausea hit her, but it soon passed.

She waited in line at the counter with her eyes never lingering on one spot or person for too long and when she finally reached the counter, she ordered a tea to go, as well as two coffees.

“Name?” The older looking brunette asked her, his green eyes trailing the features of her face.

“Hermione,” she said.

“Hermione Granger?” He questioned.

Hermione’s body stiffened, how did he know who she was? He had no aura surrounding him, he was human.

“Yes,” she answered warily.

“Someone called earlier and left a message,” he said, before he dug under the counter and removed a slip of paper which he handed to her.

Hermione stepped off to the side to allow someone else to order and she flipped open the note.

_Change of plans. Room 6, Maybelle Motel_

Hermione frowned, why had he changed the meeting place without getting word to her sooner? Was something wrong? Had something happened? Was he worried he’d be followed? Anxiety rose in Hermione, her stomach fluttered and she brought a hand up to rest against her stomach and she took a breath to calm herself.

Well, now she just had to find a way to get to the motel. Her eyes scanned the cafe, seeing there to be several computers but they were all in use, and then her eyes landed on that of what looked to be a young college student, probably in their first year, sat at a table and working on a laptop.

‘ _Perfect_ ,’ she thought.

Hermione put on a kind smile and approached the student, clearing her throat to get his attention. He looked up from his laptop, his blue eyes widening behind his glasses and his pale cheeks pinking. He licked his lips nervously and lifted a hand to push his black hair out of his eyes.

“Hello, I’m Hermione,” she smiled.

“Tom,” he replied, still staring at her.

“It’s nice to meet you, Tom, I was wondering if you’d be able to help me.”

He sat up straighter in his chair and turned his body to face her. “What do you need help with?”

“You see, I’m new to town and a friend’s asked me to meet them at the Maybelle Motel, but I don’t know how to get there, and I don’t have the address to put into the GPS system on my car. I would do it myself, but I’m useless when it comes to technology. Do you think you may be able to help me?” She asked, giving him a friendly smile.

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” he nodded and he turned back to his laptop, closed the document he’d been working on and brought up a search engine. Within minutes the Maybelle Motel was up on the screen and Hermione leaned closer to make sure she got a good look and she committed it to memory.

“Do you need me to write down the address?” He asked.

“Oh, that won’t be necessary, I’ve quite a good memory. Thank you very much for your help, you’re a life saver and I would’ve gotten terribly lost if it weren’t for you.” Hermione gave him a bright smile and his cheeks darkened. “Oh, that’s me, I better go. Thank you,” she said, after hearing her name being called.

She quickly retrieved her order and left the cafe with a little wave to the student whose eyes followed her out of the door. She walked a little further until she was out of sight and then spun on her heel, landing in front of the Maybelle Motel.

She slowly walked across the car park, squinting her eyes to better see the numbers on the doors and it took her a few moments to find room six, but once she did she approached the door and knocked. She heard footsteps shuffling inside before the door opened and Hermione stared up at the taller, unfamiliar man who she assumed was Derek’s friend.

She admitted he was handsome with his shaggy blonde hair and bright blue eyes, but she much preferred Derek’s dark, penetrating gaze and his comforting aura.

“You must be Hermione,” he spoke, and for some reason Hermione couldn’t explain, an amused smirk pulled at his mouth as his eyes travelled her body, lingering on her stomach for a moment before returning to her face.

“I am, yes. I assume you’re the one Derek came to meet,” she replied.

“Hell, he never said you were British,” he said, his eyes widening slightly before a chuckle left him and he shook his head. “No wonder he’s so hung up over you.”

“Excuse me?” She questioned with a confused frown.

“Never mind, I’m James.”

He held his hand out and Hermione hesitantly shook it with the hand that wasn’t currently holding the tray of hot beverages. Hermione removed her hand from his and looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

“Right, sorry,” he said, stepping aside and giving her access to the room.

Hermione’s eyes searched her surroundings, seeing the plain beige walls and the cream coloured carpet. The door on the opposite side of the room was left open, revealing the bathroom. A table and two chairs sat in front of the window and there was a chest of drawers on the wall with a TV sat on top, with the double bed on the opposite wall, the headboard pressed up against the wall.

When her eyes landed on the bed, a gasp of horror left her and she almost dropped the tea and coffees, but she managed to place them on the table before slowly making her way over to the bed.

“What the hell happened?” She demanded, briefly sparing the werewolf a glace before turning her eyes back to the bed.

She perched herself on the side of it and her eyes trailed the handsome, bloodied and bruised face of Derek. He had cuts –looking more like claw marks- on his forehead, one on his cheek and his lip was split. He had a nasty looking bruise on his jaw, and when she looked further down his body it was to see that blood had soaked through the white t-shirt in several places and it looked to have dried, but there were also tears in the fabric, looking as though it had been done by sharp claws. If he had any more injuries on the rest of his body she couldn’t tell, the blanket was pulled up to his waist.

She reached over and gently brushed the tips of her fingers over Derek’s cheek, feeling tears welling up in her eyes when he didn’t once move or acknowledge her presence. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down and helping to settle her magic lest she has an accidental outburst. Her hand dropped from his cheek and she moved to wrap her smaller hand around his larger one that lay on top of the blanket.

She turned her head to look over her shoulder, seeing that the werewolf was watching her with curious eyes and they moved to her stomach when she felt her other hand settling over her t-shirt. That was the second time he’d done that. Did he know? Had Derek told him? Judging by the way he was looking at her, she guessed he had.

“What happened?” She asked again. “And don’t lie to me, I’m trying very hard to control my emotions right now and the tiniest thing can set me off and trust me when I say, I’m very unstable at the moment.”

He blinked slowly, a frown pulling at his face at her words. “We found who we were looking for,” he spoke.

“And?” She prompted.

“And it ended in a fight.”

“Then why are you not injured?” She questioned and she’d done her best to hide her anger, but some of it pushed through. James wisely took a step back further away from her.

“We split up, I went after the hunter and Derek went after the...”

“The what?” She said through gritted teeth.

“Well, it turns out the hunter’s got a partner, another werewolf who hates what he is and he’s using his lycanthropy to help kill other werewolves, innocent or not. Derek fought the werewolf, he was a lot stronger than we anticipated and he got a bit banged up.”

“Banged up!” She growled, and he took another step back at the animalist sound coming from the human.

He knew she wasn’t a werewolf, which just made what she’d done all the more frightening. God, he could see why Derek liked her so much. She was a feisty little thing, terrifying, too. Despite her being human, he could feel her presence of power and strength. Something he would usually feel with an Alpha, which intrigued him.

“He’s not banged up! For the love of Merlin, he’s bloody unconscious!” At hearing the anger in her tone, Hermione forced herself to take a few deep breaths and listed the uses of dragon’s blood before opening her eyes again. “Tell me you at least caught the bastards.”

His eyes widened at her use of language. “No, they got away. When I heard the howl I gave up the chase on the hunter to return to Derek. By the time I got there, they’d both gone. He’s been out since last night.”

“And he hasn’t woken once?” He shook his head. “Shouldn’t he have healed by now?” She questioned.

“He’s healing, just slowly. The wounds were quite bad and with the way he’s going, he should be fine in a few days.”

“That’s not good enough,” she spoke. “I need you to leave for a little while.”

“What? Why?” He questioned suspiciously.

“So I can tend to his wounds and help him, that’s why.”

“Then why can’t I stay?”

“Because I said so, that’s why.” He frowned at her, a retort ready but she beat him to it. “Look, I don’t care if your families are allies, that won’t stop me from putting the fear of God in you, and every time you look at me, you’ll feel the urge to run away with your tail between your legs.”

And there it was; the werewolf reference he’d been waiting to hear from her.

“Fine, how long do you need?”

“An hour, maybe a little longer.”

“I’ll be back by four-thirty,” he said, his eyes watching her as he made for the door and stepped out of the room.

Hermione waited a few minutes before pulling her wand and sending a Locking Charm to the door. She then dug into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out her beaded bag, being glad of the fact the habit of carrying it with her hadn’t vanished.

She summoned all the healing supplies she had with her before she magicked off Derek’s shirt and her breath hitched seeing the open, large wounds that had stopped bleeding but had a long way to go before they’d heal. She could easily tell they’d been caused by sharp claws and by someone with considerable strength.

Taking a breath to centre herself, Hermione quickly set to work cleaning and disinfecting the wounds one at a time before applying the correct healing pastes and sealing salves to close up the wounds. When she was done with his torso, she moved to his face and with them not being as bad as the others, they all but healed within minutes, her magic working with his body’s healing to quicken the process.

When she was sure she’d done everything she could for him, she banished the empty vials of salves, pastes and potions before getting herself comfortable with sitting on the edge of the bed and holding his hand in hers.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 11

Hermione watched and waited as Derek’s wounds slowly knitted back together and his body healed for nearly an hour, until she could no longer take the silence in the room or his non-moving and unresponsive state, and she stood from the bed and went into the bathroom.

She closed the door behind her and moved to stand in front of the sink where a mirror sat above on the wall. She watched her reflection, seeing her features lined with exhaustion and worry, seeing her eyes looking red from the effort of holding back her tears.

She’d been terrified when she saw him so badly injured, absolutely terrified that he’d leave her and she would have to raise their baby on her own. The thought of having to do that on her own scared her, but she knew that as time went by and no matter how hard it was, she’d learn to do so without help. But that didn’t mean it was her preference. In all honesty, she didn’t want to do it alone. She wanted as much support as she could get. She wanted her baby to have people, parents that loved him or her as much as possible. She wanted someone to help her raise her baby and to help protect them, and she knew that Derek would do and was doing all of those things.

The thought of losing him scared her so much she actually felt nauseous. So what if it’d only been a few weeks? He was an important part of her life and they were doing their best to work together and to support each other and the baby. She couldn’t get the sight of him out of her mind. To her, Derek was strong and confident and untouchable, but the sight of him lying unconscious on the bed and covered in blood and wounds showed her how wrong she was. He was a werewolf, but he was also human and he could get hurt just like she could. He wasn’t indestructible.

Her stomach coiled in fear and she brought a hand up to rest against her covered stomach, still flat and without any outward sign of pregnancy, but she knew it wouldn’t be that way for much longer.

Her baby could’ve very well lost their father before they were even born and would’ve been left with just her for family.

Tears welled in her eyes once more and this time she didn’t bother trying to stop them from falling, she needed a good cry to get all of the pent up fear and worry out of her, otherwise, it would consume her.

Hermione moved to sit on the closed toilet seat, she hunched over on herself, buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

~000~000~000~

He was aware of soft brushes against his skin, of a warm hand holding his gently, of a soft voice murmuring to him, and all of it helped him to grab onto reality and pull himself back to the present.

His eyes slowly opened, his vision clear and staring up at a cream coloured ceiling. The first thing he realised was that the bed he was on wasn’t his own, the second was that he was in the motel room he’d been staying in the last few days, the third was that he felt rested, and the last thing was that he was no longer in pain.

He remembered what’d happened, he remembered James half dragging, half carrying him back to his car and driving to the motel, and he remembered collapsing onto the bed, after that point there’s nothing. And the likely reason for that being that he’d passed out while his body healed. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been out but when he pushed himself into a sitting position and he looked down at himself, it was to see himself clean of blood if but for a few dried spots, and his body was free of injuries.

He looked to the radio sat on the table across the room, seeing that it wasn’t long after four o’clock, but he was surprised to see the date. It was only the day after? How was that possible? Given the damage he’d taken, his body would’ve needed a few days to properly heal, but as he stood from the bed he didn’t experience any pain, any dizziness or any discomfort. He ran his hands over his face and body, checking for any wounds that might not have fully healed, but he couldn’t find any.

What had happened to him in the time he’d been unconscious? How had his body healed so quickly? And where the hell was James?

Standing in the middle of the room all but naked except for his underwear, he looked down at himself confused. The sound of a door opening had his head snapping up to the bathroom, only to see Hermione stepping out and wiping at her face with the sleeve of her jacket whilst she sniffled.

What was she doing there? How had she found him?

His eyes briefly flickered back to the radio, being reminded of the time he silently berated himself. He hadn’t been there to meet her, which meant James had likely found a way to contact her and inform her of the change in the meeting place.

She slowly looked up from the ground and he felt himself growing worried when her eyes widened, locking on him. Her eyes were bright red and puffy, tears still swimming in her eyes. Her nose was red, too, and she gripped what looked to be scrunched up tissues in one of her hands.

Why had she been crying? He thought.

His own eyes widened in surprise when a look of anger crossed her face, and her mouth opened.

“What the bloody hell were you thinking!” She demanded, her voice rising in a way he hadn’t heard from her before. It was filled with anger and pain and fear. “You scared the shit out of me!”

He could count on one hand the number of times he’d heard her curse, which just went to show how out of sorts she really was.

“Do you have any idea of what you put me through! Of how scared I was! Of how worried I was! You should’ve seen the state you were in when I got here, I thought you were dying!”

Her tears fell forcefully down her face, streaming over her cheeks and dropping onto her t-shirt leaving behind wet marks. His eyes briefly swept the room and worry and a little bit of fear spiked through him when he saw that several things in the room were levitating from the ground and bobbing about in the air. The table and chairs by the window, the TV from the chest of drawers and his duffle bag which had been on the floor in the corner of the room.

Like he could feel when another werewolf was present, he was sure he could feel her magic swarming the air and filling the room. It wrapped around him in a way that made him warm and light-headed, it brushed against him like a summer’s breeze causing the hairs on his body to stand on end and a shiver ran through him.

She’d told him a magical pregnancy was dangerous for witches; that their magic was more often than not volatile and they suffered accidental magical outbursts, and now he knew what that had meant. He was bearing witness to it as he was sure she had no idea of what her magic was doing now, she wasn’t paying attention to anything in the room but him.

Her eyes were narrowed dangerously despite the tears falling down her face, her hands were clenched into tight fists down by her sides and she had a look on her face as though she was very much contemplating the idea of punching him, and werewolf or not, he knew she would. And then hex him after for good measure. One thing he’d learned about her was that she was a vindictive little thing.

“Derek, you scared the actual hell of out me and I haven’t felt fear like that in years. I haven't felt like that since the war!”

The fear and worry and anger shone on her face, twisting her beautiful, kind features and he felt his heart all but shatter for her and the wolf in him howled to see her so unlike her usual herself. Not knowing how to help her, not knowing what to say to the obviously distraught witch and not knowing what he could do about her magic acting out –which was terrifying and reminded him to never piss her off- he did the only thing he could think of.

Not caring an inch for his almost nudity –after all, she’d seen him naked before- he strode across the room and took her in his arms, pulling her small frame against him. She resisted at first, growling and snarling –like a werewolf, he realised- and she beat her fists against his chest, trying to struggle free of his hold. She put up one hell of a fight, he admitted, but he just held onto her tighter, bringing her closer to his body until the fight left her and she slumped against him. The growling and snarling faded into cries and he felt her tears hit his chest, her arms moved up to loop around his neck and she stood up on her tiptoes and buried her face in his neck.

Despite her clear upset, he felt calm in her presence and the wolf in him settled down, no longer being on edge now that he had her with him again. He reached down and scooped her up, carrying her over to the bed where he sat her down across his lap once he perched himself on the edge of the mattress. He held her close to him and he buried his nose against her neck, nuzzling at her skin and taking in the scent of her. He allowed one hand to move from her back and it slipped down in-between them to gently smooth over her stomach, him noting that it was still flat and without outward proof of her pregnancy.

He didn’t know how long they sat that way, the only sound in the room being that of Hermione’s cries and sniffles and of the rumbles of his wolf, but Hermione finally pulled back from him, her face bright red and her eyes puffy and instantly locking on to his own.

He reached down and took the ball of tissues from her hand and he brought it up to her face, gently dabbing at her eyes and cheeks, before wiping at her nose and then he threw the tissues across the room until it landed in the bin sat by the table and chairs, which had thankfully been lowered back to the ground along with the rest of the items she’d accidentally levitated.

The hand that wasn’t pressed against her stomach came up to her face, resting against her cheek to keep their gazes locked and he felt one of her hands come down to her stomach to rest over his own, while the other remained hooked around the back of his neck.

“I’m sorry,” were the first words that left his mouth since before he’d passed out the night before. “I didn’t mean to scare you,” he muttered gravelly. “We knew there was a possibility of there being more than one hunter, but we never thought they’d have the help of another werewolf, and he was a lot stronger than I anticipated him being, and now I know better. I really am sorry.”

She slowly nodded, her eyes searching his face for something, he didn’t know what. Relief filled him and his body relaxed and he pulled her back to his body in a hug, she didn’t fight this time and he was sure that as he buried his face against her neck, he briefly felt her nose brush his skin and he heard her intake of breath. Was she taking in his scent? That was the second werewolf related trait he’d seen her do that evening.

“Did you do something to me? I know I was wounded badly and my body can’t have healed itself in less than a day.” He asked, reluctantly pulling back from her so he could look at her.

She nodded, giving another sniffle despite the fact she’d stopped crying. “Yes,” she spoke, her voice quiet and sad. “I used my healing supplies to help heal your wounds, one, in particular, was designed specifically for speeding up a werewolf’s already advanced healing process. Given your genetics being different to a magical werewolf, I wasn’t sure if it would work. It took just over an hour for your final wound to finish healing.”

His eyes widened slightly. He hadn’t realised the capabilities of magical healing. He’d assumed it would be better than regular human medicines and treatment, but he never thought it was able to heal wounds such as his in such little time, even if he did have his advanced healing.

“Thank you,” he said. “How did you have access to your healing supplies? How did you even know where to find me?”

“I have this magical handbag I used during the war. In it is everything I need to survive in the wild, from food to shelter to healing supplies. I always make sure it’s fully stocked and I always carry it with me in case of emergencies. Some habits from the war are hard to break, including this one, and it’s a good job, too. When I got to the cafe, the barista said there was a note left for me. It told me to come here and after a little help, I was able to find a visual aid and I apparated here. I suspect it was that friend of yours.”

“James,” he nodded. “Have you met him? Do you know where he is?”

“Yes, he was here when I arrived. I think I may have frightened him,” she said, a sheepish look crossing her face and amusement bubbled within him.

“Really?”

“Yes, by the time I’d finished questioning him about your injuries he was all but backed up against the wall.” A snort left him. “I told you, I have a temper. When I saw you literally covered in blood and unconscious, I lost it.”

“I’ve witnessed your temper,” he commented.

“No, you haven’t. What you witnessed was barely a tenth of my actual temper.”

“That worries me,” he admitted with a slight frown, after all, he’d seen her magic act out without her knowledge. If that happened when she was only a slightly bit angry, what happened when her full temper was triggered?

“Good, it should,” she replied. She let out a sigh and lifted her hand from her stomach to push a fallen curl out of her face and behind her ear. “I wasn’t kidding, Derek, you really did scare me,” she said quietly.

“I’m sorry, I never meant for you to see that.”

“I had this impression of you being superhuman, of you being all-powerful and untouchable but what I saw of you, it made me realise you’re human just like me and you can get injured just as easily as I can. You promised me you’d be careful, and you weren’t,” she whispered, feeling tears welling up in her eyes once more.

He let out a sigh and tilted his head forward until their foreheads were pressed together and he closed his eyes, allowing her scent to invade his nose. God, how could he miss someone so much after such a little time of knowing them?

“I’ve come to the same realisation,” he confessed. “It didn’t matter as much before since there was only me, but I’ve got a baby on the way and I need to start making sure I don’t run into situations blindly and putting myself at risk.”

“It’s not just the baby that needs you, I need you, too” she muttered. His eyes slowly opened and he pulled back to look at her face, seeing her biting at her lip and his eyes zeroed in on the action. “You might not realise it but I depend on you, too. I might seem as though I’ve got everything figured out, that I know what I’m doing, but I don’t, I have no clue. I’m just going through the pregnancy day by day hoping that everything will be fine and I’ll have no issues. I may not depend on you physically or financially, but I certainly do emotionally. Most of the time I’m so calm is because you’re the one that calms me, you’re the one that sets me at ease with your presence. Since you moved into the cottage, I’m sleeping a lot better and I don’t worry that something could wrong and I’d be on my own without any help, because I know you’re never too far away. As much as you’re a pain in the arse, I know it comes from a good place and you just want to make sure me and the baby are safe. If you hadn’t pulled through, I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done.”

He watched her face carefully, seeing the way her eyes seemed to trace the features of his face as if committing them to memory and when she noticed that he was watching her she quickly looked away from him and to the floor, her cheeks colouring pink.

Now, that certainly was interesting, he thought. He hadn’t known her long but he hadn’t seen her blush once, not even on the night they’d slept together and they’d certainly done things that were blush-worthy.

She seemed to startle out of nowhere and he looked to see that her eyes had widened, her cheeks had blushed a darker shade and her eyes traced his body, apparently just realising that she was draped over his lap and he was only clad in his underwear. He felt a smirk pull at his face when he heard the hitch in her breath and her heart skip a beat, something a regular human would’ve missed but his hearing picked up on easily.

This was the first time she’d shown any reaction towards him and he wondered if it was a onetime thing, or she’d just been very good at hiding her true feelings from him. She squirmed in his lap and attempted to climb off him and before he could stop himself, both of his hands flew to grip at her hips and keep her in place and a growl rumbled from the back of his throat, not wanting her to leave now that she was so close to him.

A slight gasp left her lips and his eyes fell down to her mouth, but not before he noticed that hers had done the same with him. He pulled her closer to his body, bringing their heads closer together and her tongue darted out to wet her lips. He tilted his face a little more forwards, their lips barely touching, but if either of them were to speak they would feel the movement.

“This is a bad idea,” she mumbled quietly, but he’d still heard.

“Why?” He questioned, his voice a little louder than hers has been.

“It could complicate things.”

“It’s not like I can knock you up again, I’ve already done it once,” he said, his mouth twitching. He could practically feel her annoyance in the way her magic seemed to surround them, brushing against him softly.

“It could make things awkward between us,” she said, not giving his last comment a reaction.

“I don’t think it will. I want you, _badly_.” Her breath hitched, he leaned into her and she leaned back, but their noses were almost touching. “I can’t stop thinking about you, about that night.”

“You do?” She asked quietly, breathlessly, he noted pleased.

“I do.”

Fire and heat flickered in her eyes and she let out a sigh. “Oh thank, Merlin,” she breathed out, before she closed the little distance there was between them and her mouth pressed to his.

His tongue wasted no time in darting out to seek entrance past her lips and she granted him it, her hands coming up to loop around his neck, one sliding into his hair and getting caught in the strands. His grip on her hips tightened slightly before she found herself being lifted and shifted back onto his lap so she was straddling him and he’d done it with little effort. His hands moved from her hips, one moving up her body to remove the bobble from her hair. Her wild curls fell down her back and he buried his hand into her curls and the other moved to slip under her jacket and t-shirt, smoothing over the bare skin of her back and pushing her body closer to his.

Barely a few moments later, her jacket was pushed off her shoulders and it slid down her arms onto the ground, before their hands found their way back to the other. She let out a squeak of surprise when she was pressed into the mattress on her back and Derek moved to settle himself in the cradle of her thighs, all without removing his mouth from hers.

She let her hands wander, tracing the ridges of hard muscle and hot skin the way she had that night they’d met. A growl rumbled in his chest when she nibbled at his bottom lip before she pulled her mouth from him, needing to breathe. Her mouth moved across his cheek and down to his jaw, dragging her teeth over his throat and nipping at his neck. Another growl rumbled in him.

“I will bite you,” he muttered, burying his face against her neck and allowing his nose to nuzzle at her skin.

“Is that a promise?” She breathed out, still being breathless from their kiss.

A louder growl was heard this time. “Witch! Don’t tease.”

“I’m not a tease.”

“I beg to differ,” he muttered, his lips brushing the skin of her throat and he nipped her with his teeth, causing her breath to hitch.

“You’re one to talk,” she scoffed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He questioned, pulling back to look at her face and her hands slipped to resting on his shoulders whilst he propped himself up on his elbows and looked down at her.

“You’ve been deliberately frustrating me since the day we bloody met,” she replied. He raised an eyebrow. “Well, since the day we re-met I should say. You’re always invading my personal space, you’re always walking around shirtless and you’re always following me around when I just want to be left alone so I can suffer in silence.”

“Meaning?”

“I lied to you,” she confessed. He gave her a look that told her to continue. “About my symptoms, I’m not just suffering from morning sickness. Since the day we re-met, my _hormones_ have been acting up. Really badly actually, especially when you’re walking around bloody shirtless. You’re all I can bloody think about and it’s irritating.” She shifted underneath him and he felt his mouth twitch into a smirk.

“Hormones?” He questioned.

“Yes, hormones,” she scowled.

“Oh, those _hormones_ ,” his smirk widened when the penny dropped and he understood her meaning. “Why didn’t you tell me, I would’ve gladly helped?”

Her eyes snapped up to his and they widened slightly before she shook her head. “I didn’t think you were interested in me that way, so I saw no point in bringing it up. I’ve been hiding it from you for weeks and you never said anything.”

His brow furrowed before a snort of amusement left him. “Hell, I’ve been hiding it from you, too.”

“Excuse me?” She said in surprise and confusion.

He smirked. “You’ve been driving me crazy for weeks. I tried to get a reaction out of you, but you never seemed bothered.”

“Are you telling me that we’re both attracted to each other and have been for a while, but that we’ve both been hiding it from each other as we assumed the other wasn’t interested?” She frowned.

“Certainly am,” he nodded.

She sighed and brought her hands away from his shoulders to bury her face in them. “All this bloody tension and frustration could’ve been avoided,” her voice was muffled but he still heard it.

“Speaking of tension, did you deal with it yourself?” He asked. He heard her gasp of surprise and even under her hands he could see her entire face flaming bright red. “That’s a yes,” he said, barely containing his laugh. “What did you think about?” She removed her hands from covering her face and scowled at him. “Me?” Her scowl turned into a glare. “What was I doing?” He asked, lowering his head so their noses touched. “Tell me, I’m curious to know.”

Her answer was to slap at his shoulder before pulling him back down to her with a hand behind the back of his neck, their mouths once more locking in a breathless kiss.

The sound of the door opening had them both pulling back from each other and turning their heads to see James stood in the doorway, a bag in his hand and his eyes wide and staring at them.

A deep, loud growl fell from Derek’s lips and James’ took a step back. “You know what, I forgot the drinks, be right back,” he said, before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Derek sighed and turned to look at Hermione, who not only looked annoyed at being interrupted, but embarrassed at having been caught. He chuckled at her before climbing off her and disappearing into the bathroom, reappearing not long after brushing his teeth and relieving his bladder.

Hermione kept her eyes downcast and entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and he shook his head in amusement. Well, that evening had definitely been interesting, he thought.

He quickly changed his underwear and slipped on a clean pair of jeans, and just as he was about to pull his t-shirt on, James walked into the room and closed the door behind him. He stared at Derek’s blemish-free torso with confused and wide eyes.

“That’s not possible,” he muttered, putting the bag he was carrying on the table and pulling out a chair to perch himself on. “How?”

“Hermione,” Derek answered with a shrug and he pulled his t-shirt over his head before pulling on his shoes.

“How?”

“I told you she was different.”

“Yeah, but not that she was _different_. What is she? I haven’t heard of anyone that can do what she’s done. I saw the state you were in, it would’ve taken days to heal. She’s done it in less than two hours. Now I know why she asked me to leave.”

“I can’t tell you what she is, it’s a secret and if anyone finds out, she’ll be arrested. All you need to know is she’s different, and she’s powerful, so I wouldn’t aggravate her either. She’ll have you on your ass before you even saw it coming.”

“Different, right,” he nodded and then shook his head of his thoughts. A half-smirk, half-smile pulled at his mouth. “So, Hermione?” He said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. “You said she was beautiful, but you never said she was a stunner, or that she was British. That came as a surprise. No wonder you’re so possessive of her.”

“I’m not,” Derek denied.

“No? Then stop growling at me,” James shrugged his shoulders. Derek sent him a withering look. “Though, I would be annoyed, too, if someone interrupted me when I had a beautiful woman like her beneath me.”

“Watch it, James, that’s the mother of my baby you’re talking about,” Derek warned with a growl wrapping around his words.

James smirked at him. “But it’s _so_ much fun. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this protective of a woman, not even Paige.”

“Who’s Paige?” Hermione asked, stepping out of the bathroom.

Derek glared at James before turning to look at her over his shoulder. “No one, nothing for you to worry about,” he told her.

She frowned but turned her eyes to James after shaking her head, and she gave him a sheepish look. “I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier, you didn’t deserve it.”

He waved her off. “Don’t worry about it, I get it, you were worried about Derek and it was a shock to see him so bloodied up. Trust me, I’ve faced worse tempers than yours in my life.”

“Oh, then why were you backed up against the wall?” She asked innocently.

A snort of amusement left Derek and he crossed his arms over his chest, a smirk pulling at his mouth.

“I said I’ve faced worse tempers, I didn’t say that you weren’t frightening because believe me, you were,” James said, sending her a look of amusement as he turned his attention to pulling out the contents of the bag, which looked to be food.

The moment the smell hit her nose, her stomach rolled.

“What the hell is that?” She asked, scrunching her nose up.

“Fish tacos,” James replied.

“It smells disgusting,” she grimaced.

“They’re delicious,” he shrugged his shoulders.

The moment he unwrapped the packaging and the smell was twice as strong, Hermione darted to the bathroom and Derek wasn’t far behind her. As she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet, Derek rubbed comforting circles on her back and held her hair back from her face.

“Why would he eat that? What’s wrong with him?” Hermione cried, briefly looking up at Derek until another wave hit her and she threw up once more.

“I don’t even know where to begin answering that question,” he replied.

“I heard that!” James called, but they both ignored him.

When Hermione no longer felt sick almost fifteen minutes later, he retrieved a bottle of water James had brought back with him and the bobble he’d dropped to the ground –sending a glare to James seeing as he was the one to trigger her sickness-before returning to Hermione. She swilled her mouth out while he tied her hair back from her face, then he scooped down and settled her in his arms, carrying her over to the bed and setting her down on the mattress.

“You okay?” He asked, perching on the bed beside her.

“Yeah,” she sighed, before grabbing a pillow and putting it over her head to block out the smell. “If he’s got anything else, you may as well eat it while I’m blocking out the smell of any other triggers,” her voice was muffled but he understood.

The mattress dipped as he climbed off the bed and made his way over to the table, taking one of the other tacos –this one pork- and eating; he was starving.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 11

They ate their food quickly with James sending Derek knowing looks and him replying with glares and growls, while Hermione remained quiet with a pillow held against her face. In all honesty, Derek thought she’d fallen asleep, but when she heard the rustling of wrappers being thrown into the bin, she removed the pillow from her face to see both werewolves having finished with dinner.

She cast a subtle and quick silent Ventilation Charm in the room to rid of the smell before pushing herself up in a sitting position and turning to plant her feet on the floor.

“So, got any gossip for me?” She asked. James looked confused and a chuckle escaped from Derek as he shook his head slightly.

“No gossip,” he said.

Hermione frowned in disappointment. “Well, this was a wasted trip.” He snorted at her. “So, what’s the plan?”

“The plan?” James asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, the plan. I’m here now and I gave you a few days to sort this out yourselves,” she said, pointedly looking at Derek.

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “You want to involve your people,” Derek spoke knowingly. She shrugged and James looked between the two of them confused.

“If I don’t and someone finds out, I could lose my job, but I’m not thinking about me, I’m thinking about James and his family. How are you going to deal with the hunter? Do you plan on killing him? If you do, you’ve both harmed a human and regardless of the fact he’s a hunter, he’s still a human which means you’ll lose the protection of my people and you’ll be on your own and a known safety risk. Rather than having our protection you’ll become our enemies.”

Derek frowned. “And that’s something we want to avoid, I don’t want your people hunting us down, especially if they know who we are and where we are.”

“Exactly, but if you let me take care of it, I can take the hunter into custody, he’ll be charged and put on trial for his crimes and imprisoned. As for the werewolf, seeing as he’s one of you and he’s harmed a member of your pack, you have every legal right to kill him should you wish to. I could take him into custody but unless he’s harmed a human, he’ll probably walk free. The ones that were taken, are they werewolves?” Derek nodded. “I hate to say this, but the best option is to take him out of the equation permanently. He’ll obviously just find another hunter to work with if we don’t stop him, but his crimes aren’t punishable by the laws of my people. We’ll have to kill the werewolf and capture the hunter, it’s the only option that allows you both to remain on the protection list.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” James asked, his slightly narrowed eyes darting between them.

“None of your business,” Hermione replied, while Derek said, “Nothing,”

“You two are starting to annoy me with all these secrets you’re keeping,” James complained.

“Tough,” they both said, before looking to each other in surprise.

“Oh great, and you’re speaking in unison. What’s next, finishing each other’s sentences?”

“Me breaking your nose,” Derek answered, sending him a glare but James just looked amused.

“Anyway,” Hermione spoke, pulling their attention. “We should make a move tonight.”

“It’s too soon,” James shook his head.

“Exactly, as far as they’re aware, Derek was seriously injured and he needs a few days to heal, which means they know you won’t be going after them again. Their guard will be down and it’s unlikely they’ll make another move, they’ll be laying low. But we have an advantage, they don’t know that Derek’s fine and they certainly don’t know you have me, and I’m your biggest player in this.”

“How can you help exactly?” James asked with a curiously raised eyebrow and he sat forward in his chair.

“I told you she was powerful and I meant it, I’ve never met anyone like her before,” Derek answered.

“I have a particular set of skills and capabilities that I can’t tell you about,” she said.

“You know what, I don’t even care,” James said. “I assume you have a plan?”

“I do,” she nodded. “First of all, I need a bit of information. Do you know who the hunter is?”

“Shaun Dexter,” Derek said.

“I’m sure I’ve heard his name before,” she frowned thoughtfully. “I’ll be right back,” she said, standing up from the bed and lifting her jacket from the ground and slipping it on.

“Where are you going?” Derek asked, looking as though he wanted to follow her.

“I need to gather some information, and no, you can’t come with me. I’ll only be half an hour at most.”

Before he could reply, she strode out of the room and closed the door behind her, leaving Derek staring at the door.

“Well, I like her,” James spoke.

~000~000~000~

“I’m alive and there’s not a mark on me,” she rolled her eyes, as she stepped into the room and Derek immediately stopped in his pacing, his eyes checking her over for injuries. “And would you look at that, I was only gone twenty-three minutes.”

James snorted and shifted in his seat, putting his phone on the table and giving her his attention.

“Right, I’ve gotten that information I needed and I know where I know the name from. Shaun Dexter is in our system, he’s a known hunter and my people have been trying to catch him for two years now. According to our data, he’s got fifty-three confirmed kills under his belt and he’s suspected of another twenty-six. We haven’t been able to catch him because he moves around too frequently. He doesn’t just stick to America, he’s international with kills in Asia _and_ Europe, but given how well my previous department is run, he stayed far away from Britain otherwise we would’ve caught him. I can guarantee he’ll be sentenced to prison for his crimes and he’ll get a life sentence without chance of release. He’ll die in a cell.”

James looked surprised at what she’d learned and Derek impressed.

“We do have a list of known acquaintances of Dexter so we shouldn’t assume that hasn’t called for assistance now that he knows you’re onto him, which means we need to get this dealt with as quickly as possible. That just leaves the werewolf, seeing as you don’t know his identity I wasn’t able to search the archives, so we’re blind when it comes to him, but I may be able to find him and a lot quicker than either of you.”

“Really?” James looked sceptical.

“She found me with only my first name,” Derek told him. “She knows what she’s doing.” He then turned to Hermione. “What do you need?”

“I’m assuming you managed to get a few blows in with the werewolf?”

He nodded. “Cut his stomach up a bit.”

“That’s good,” she said, moving over to the bin where she dug out Derek’s bloodied and torn t-shirt and she threw it to him. He caught it, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. “Can you distinguish between your blood and his?”

“I don’t see why not,” he shrugged, and when she looked at him pointedly he lifted the t-shirt to his nose and began sniffing at it.

“I’ve seen it all now,” James spoke, crossing his arms over his chest and stretching his legs out and crossing them at the ankles.

“I assure you, you haven’t,” Hermione replied.

“There’s five blood spots that aren’t mine,” Derek.

She took the t-shirt from him and walked over to the table, spreading the t-shirt out on the surface and she pulled a marker pen from seemingly out of nowhere, making James blink slowly, wondering where it had come from.

“Point them out for me,” she instructed him.

He came up behind her, pressing his chest against her back, one hand coming up to curl around her hip and the other reached around her to point out each of the blood markings that weren’t his and Hermione drew a circle around them.

“Now I can work my magic and track the werewolf and it’s safe to assume that where the werewolf is, Dexter is, too.”

“And how are you going to track them?” James asked, looking amused at the way Derek didn’t step back from her; in fact, he seemed to tighten his hold on her, his hand slipping from her hip to rest against her stomach.

“That’s for me to know and for you to never find out,” she replied. Derek snorted at his friend’s scowl. “Since I know Mr. Protective,” she gestured to Derek with a jab of her thumb, “Isn’t going to let me anywhere near the werewolf, I’ll handle Dexter.”

“That’s no better, he has bullets,” he spoke.

“I have my ways, Derek, and you know I do. You’ve seen it.”

“Your defensive measures can withstand bullets?” He asked surprised.

“The more powerful ones can, but the pregnancy’s taking a lot of me lately so I’ll be tired afterwards. I won’t have a lot of time when Dexter realises that I’ve weakened so I’ll have to be quick.”

“He won’t tell us where Ronnie and Connor are, I know he won’t,” James said.

“Believe me, I’ll find your cousins, all he needs to do is look into my eyes.”

“Care to elaborate further?”

“No,”

“Thought not,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Right, we’ll wait for the cover of darkness, in the meantime, I’m going to start work on tracking this werewolf. Don’t disturb me because I guarantee my response will not be unpleasant,” she said.

She picked up the t-shirt and then nudged Derek to step away from her. He seemed reluctant to do so but after his hand smoothed over her stomach he stepped back and she stepped around him and disappeared in the bathroom, shutting the door behind herself.

“What’s she doing in there?” James asked.

“I don’t know, and I’m not entirely sure I want to,” Derek replied.

“Are you scared of her?” James asked with a frown, but amusement broke through in his tone.

“Not _of_ her, but I’d be an idiot if I wasn’t scared of what she’s capable of,” he admitted.

“What is she? I won’t tell anyone, you know I won’t. Not only do you genuinely seem to care about her, she’s carrying your pup, the future of your pack.”

“I can’t tell you, not because I don’t trust you, but because if anyone found out that you knew, it’d get her in a lot of trouble and she’ll be imprisoned. Her people have very strict laws about remaining undetected. She had to work her way around the laws just to tell me, something about the baby almost certainly being like her which meant I had a right to know what my child would be,” he shrugged. “By the sounds of it, she probably shouldn’t have told me at all considering we’re not married.”

“Do you plan on marrying her?” James asked.

Derek sent him a scathing look. “People can have babies without having to get married, you know?”

“I didn’t say they couldn’t,” he shrugged. “I’m just curious, is all.”

“Well, it’s none of your business, as it is, we’ve only just discovered we’ve both got a mutual attraction for the other, we’ve both been trying to hide it from each other for weeks.”

“God, give me strength, you two are hopeless,” James sighed, dropping his head into his hands.

~000~000~000~

Night had fallen by the time Hermione had finally emerged from the bathroom and good thing, too, because James was in dire need of relieving his bladder. She’d been in the bathroom for hours and when she stepped out, Derek looked to her questioningly, wishing for answers.

“Dinner first, I’m starving, you’ve both had something to eat and I haven’t since breakfast this morning.”

“Why the hell not?” He demanded, a disapproving frown crossing his face.

“I couldn’t keep my breakfast down, when it got to lunch I couldn’t stomach the thought of food and then James brought back those disgusting fish tacos and I lost my appetite again,” she shrugged. “I’ll be back soon.”

She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her, and after finding somewhere to have dinner, she returned an hour later. She stepped into the room carrying a tray of beverages, and both werewolves looked up from their conversation sat the table, raising an eyebrow when they saw she had four drinks, not three.

“How’d you get to McDonald’s?” James asked her. “The nearest one isn’t for sixty miles or so and there’s no way you got there and back and ate your food within an hour.”

“Can’t tell you,” she replied, placing the tray on the table. She removed the two that belonged to her, both chocolate milkshakes. “Derek, I got you vanilla,” she said, knowing it was his favourite as he’d mentioned it before. “James, I just got you a coke, since I didn’t know what you’d prefer.”

He shrugged and took the one that was his. “Doesn’t bother me.”

“Why’ve you got two? Are you expecting someone else?” Derek asked her with a raised eyebrow.

“No, my cravings have made an appearance in the form of ice-cream. I had a chocolate milkshake at the diner the other day and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it,” she replied. An amused look crossed his face. “Right boys, make sure you go to the potty as we’re leaving in five minutes and I don’t have any puppy pads with me. I’ll meet you outside.”

As she stepped back through the door, Derek snorted at her and James pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I thought you were joking about her werewolf jokes,” he said.

“She’s not done, she usually manages to slip in six a day, and I’ve never heard her say the same one twice,” he shrugged.

“Awesome,” he sighed, while Derek stepped into the bathroom and James did the same once Derek exited.

They both made sure they had everything they needed before they left the room and Derek found Hermione standing by the side of his car with one milkshake in her hand as she drank from the other one, and he chuckled at her.

“I’m assuming you need James to follow behind us,” he said as he approached her.

She nodded, “Yes,” she spoke around the milkshake in her mouth. “I can’t risk him seeing my personal GPS at work.”

“Got it!” James called from the other side of the car park and Hermione rolled her eyes.

“You werewolves really need to learn to keep your ears to yourself,” she said, before she climbed into the car when Derek opened the door for her, and she was surprised when he didn’t complain about having food and drink in the car. Merlin knows she certainly would’ve done if the car was hers.

“Where to?” Derek asked, switching on the ignition and turning to face her.

An amused smile played at his lips when she put one milkshake between her thighs and she struggled to remove her wand from her sleeve with the other milkshake in her hand, but she didn’t seem to want to put it down as she still sipped at it.

He reached over and took the milkshake from her, holding out to her so she could continue sipping from it while she dug her wand out from under her jacket sleeve.

“Thanks,” she said, taking the milkshake from him again. “Right, I’ve already tracked the werewolf and locked onto his location, my wand will give us directions, you just have to follow them. _Point Me_ ,” she muttered softly.

His eyes watched her wand as it sat in the palm of her hand, and just when he thought nothing was going to happen, her wand levitated off her hand and bobbed about in the air as it twisted and turned until it landed in the direction that led to the exit of the car park.

“There you go, follow that,” she instructed with a nod to her wand and she went back to sipping at her milkshake as she leaned back and shuffled in her seat to get more comfortable.

“It’ll take us to where we need to go?”

“Yes, given I had access to the werewolf’s blood, it’ll be one hundred percent accurate, but do me a favour?”

“What?”

“Never mention that I was the one to track the werewolf.”

“Why?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

“You see, I may have used illegal tracking measures to find him,” she said sheepishly.

He stared at her in surprise before shaking his head and snorting at her. “I thought you said you were a magical police officer.”

“Not quite, but it’s the closest profession to what I do. But even so, I broke the laws of my people to find him and could face prison time if word gets out.”

“You’re something else,” he shook his head, before turning his attention to pulling the car out of its parking space and moving towards the exit, taking the first left as the wand showed him. As he drove down the street he looked at the rearview mirror to see James following behind him.

~000~000~000~

They’d been driving for almost an hour and he honestly didn’t know how much longer they had to go, and neither did Hermione. As a precaution, he’d made a pit-stop to refuel and James did the same before they got straight back on the road.

At some point during the drive, Hermione had finished her first milkshake and moved onto the second, before she muttered a spell over it –and much to his surprise she’d done it without her wand which he didn’t know was possible- and cast a Freezing Charm to ensure the ice-cream didn’t melt, and she’d been falling asleep not long after.

“Tired?” Derek asked her.

“Exhausted,” she replied, stifling her yawn. “I haven’t slept much since you’ve been gone. It seems my sleep depends on your presence, too.”

He frowned at her answer and briefly turned his eyes towards her, seeing her eyes closed and her head titled back.

But now, as he took another left and followed the road in the dead of night, he let his eyes wander to Hermione. At some point, she’d pulled a blanket from her magical handbag and had draped it over herself, as well as stuffing part of it under her head to use as a pillow as she leaned against the window. Her breathing was even and deep and for the first time, he noticed the dark circles under her eyes. He was usually quite observant which led him to believe she’d somehow hid them from him with her magic, otherwise, he would’ve definitely noticed sooner.

Hermione’s wand started buzzing and she startled awake, jumping in her seat and the blanket falling from her lap.

“You alright?” He asked her.

“Yes,” she grumbled. “Just wasn’t expecting to be woken so rudely,” she replied, glowering at her wand.

He snorted at her. “What does it mean? The buzzing?”

“We’re nearing our destination, we have less than a mile to go.”

Derek sighed in relief before he rolled his window down and stuck his hand out for James to see and he indicated the number five twice, letting him know they’d be there in less than ten minutes.

“I really don’t like the idea of you being here, I said I wouldn’t allow you near a dangerous situation,” he spoke, after rolling his window back up when James flashed his headlights to let him know he understood.

“It doesn’t matter, it’s going to take the both of you to deal with this werewolf, either leaving you unguarded against Dexter, or allowing him the chance to escape. You need me and my magic on your side. And even if you tried to stop me, you wouldn’t be able to. I’m with you whether you like it or not, as it is, I’m taking the less dangerous of the two.”

“He has a gun, several of them in fact.”

“And I have my magic. My magic’s unstable as not only is my body a conductor for my magic, but the baby’s growing magic, too. This means that our magic often reacts and clashes which is why my magic’s harder to control and more volatile, but it also makes me more powerful if I can get our magics to work together.”

“That made no sense to me,” he said.

She rolled her eyes. “Essentially I’ve got twice the magic a regular witch does. Sometimes they meld and work together, but most of the time they fight and clash, making my magic unstable.”

“Got it,” he nodded. “I think.”

She snorted at him. “All you need to know is I can handle myself against hunters, Dexter isn’t the first I’ve been up against.”

“He’s not?” He asked surprised.

“No, back in Britain I’d get sent out to not only meet with other magical beings and creatures, but to meet with hunters, too. It was my job to ensure they stopped harming those that were innocent and if they didn’t, then they were arrested and detained to face trial for their crimes against the innocent.”

“So you scared the hell out of them?”

“Basically,” she nodded and he snorted at her. “At any rate, I’ve been shot at before so guns don’t frighten me.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“I didn’t think it would, after all, allowing me anywhere near this is going against your instincts to keep me safe,” she shrugged before her eyes landed on the creepy-looking building up ahead. It was too small to be a warehouse and too big to be a residence of living. “Fantastic, why is there always a creepy building involved?” She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest, rather childishly in fact.

“Speaking from experience?”

“Sadly, yes,” she muttered.

When Derek pulled the car to a stop and turned off the engine, they both stepped out of the car and James soon approached them.

“This the place? You’re sure?” He asked.

“Yes,” Hermione nodded. “I reckon it’s some kind of storage facility, it’s either abandoned or isn’t used very frequently, which is how they’ve gone undetected and you never would’ve been able to track them here. It’s too far away for you go on scent alone, so you’re welcome.”

Derek rolled his eyes at her and made to move forward but her hand darted out to his arm to keep in place and he looked down at her with a raised eyebrow.

“James, turn around and don’t look,” she instructed.

“Why?” He questioned.

“Because I said so, that’s why. Derek, make sure he doesn’t look,” she spoke.

He looked amused at James’ annoyed scowl before he motioned for his friend to turn around, and Hermione pulled her wand, muttered under her breath and what looked to be a blueprint of the building appeared with two dots marked, one red, the other white. Derek looked at her questioningly and she cancelled the spell before telling James he could turn back around.

“Right, the building only has one floor and from what I can gather, there’s only two people here, Dexter and the werewolf. Dexter appears to be on the east side of the building, whereas the werewolf appears to be on the west. They may be working together but it’s clear they don’t like each other as they’re keeping themselves separate, which makes it easier for us.”

“How do you know that?” James asked.

“I just do,” she replied. “If the werewolf’s anywhere near as injured as Derek was, it shouldn’t take you too long to get a handle on the situation, and while you’re doing that, I’ll take Dexter and I’ll find out where he has your cousins, too.”

James looked both sceptical and hopeful as he nodded and made his way back over to his car to retrieve God knows what. As he did that, Hermione turned to face Derek, putting her back to James.

“Do you trust me?” She asked him.

“Why?” He asked with a cocked eyebrow.

“Derek, do you trust me?” She repeated.

His eyes searched her face for a few moments before he nodded. “Yes, I trust you.”

“That’s all I needed to know,” she said.

She removed her beaded bag from her jacket pocket and she stuck her hand inside, the whole of her forearm disappearing and his eyes widened in surprise. She pulled her hand back with several differently coloured potion vials and slipped her bag back into her pocket.

“Okay, this one is similar to a smoke bomb only it’ll fill half of the building due to its potency so if you use it, be careful,” she told him, handing him the blue potion. “This one is basically an energy boost, it’ll increase your speed and strength but given your werewolf metabolism, I’d say you’ll have no more than five minutes so choose your timing carefully,” she handed him the pink one. “And this one be very careful with. It’s designed specifically for werewolves and it’s used as a mercy killing for werewolves that are dying and have no chance of healing. If you pour it down his throat, it’ll kill him within fifteen seconds. Be sure not to get any on yourself or it’ll hurt like hell. It’s poisonous if ingested, but it can still cause harm to the outer body.” She handed him the silver potion.

He looked down at them for a few moments before slipping them into his pockets and nodding. “You really are handy in a fight.”

“I am,” she nodded in agreement. “And please be careful, I can’t take the sight of you injured again,” she pleaded.

He reached out and his hand encircled her wrist, pulling her into his body as he wrapped himself around her smaller frame and took in her scent.

“I’ll be fine, not only do I have James with me, but your assistance, too. Not only is he outnumbered but he’s overpowered.”

At hearing James approaching she pulled back from Derek. “Right, let’s get this over with. I’m exhausted and I’m getting quite moody over the fact I’m here in the middle of the night tracking down a murdering arsehole that’s kidnapped innocent people, and I’m going to make sure Dexter feels my displeasure on the matter.” James snorted and Derek chuckled. “There’s three entrances to the building, if you take the back entrance, take the first right and go through the first door it’ll lead you straight to the werewolf unless he’s moved since I checked the building. I’ll take the side entrance and I’ll meet you both out here once we’re done. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” they both spoke.

“Alright, then let’s do this.”

As she stepped away she could feel Derek’s worried gaze on her retreating back.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 10

Hermione slowly and quietly made her way through the building and to the last known destination of the hunter since checking the occupants of the building. Her wand was gripped tightly in her hand, her mind listing off the appropriate Shielding Charms and her eyes carefully searching her surroundings should someone try to jump out at her and take her by surprise.

She moved through the corridor and came to a door on the right. When she opened it and shot a ball of light into the room, it was to see it looking like an office space and the room being unoccupied. She left the door cracked open so she would be able to hear if someone were to shut it or open it further to get inside.

She moved to the room on the left, opening the door and firing in lighting to see a filing room and it was also empty. The third room was on the left and looked to contain stacked office equipment of packaged desks and chairs, and it was empty. The fourth room was on the right wall and when she opened the door and shot a ball of light inside, it was to see another office, only this one looked to have been moved around.

The desk that had once been on the left wall as soon as you walked into the room, was now on the back wall and the table that had been on the right wall was now beside the desk and tipped on its side, looking like a shield of sorts. She felt her hairs stand up on end and her instincts were warning her to be careful. She cancelled all lighting in the room and silently crept inside, making sure to check behind the door for anyone hiding.

She slowly made her way towards the small barricade and as she was almost there and without being detected, growls and howls and snarls suddenly sounded in the building, echoing and the sound travelling to her on the opposite side of the storage facility.

The sounds told her that Derek and James had found their target and a fight had broken out and she sent a quick pray to Merlin and the Founder’s that they’d be alright. The silence in the room was broken moments after, a shuffling being heard before a gunshot sounded and being unable to see in the dark room, she ducked to the ground in hopes of it missing her.

Not feeling any pain or injuries, she knew she hadn’t been hit and while on the floor, she took a moment to calm herself, centre her magic and then she cast one of the strongest shields she had in her repertoire, knowing from experience that it would and could defend against bullets but not for long periods of time.

“ _Protego Totalum_ ,” she muttered, the shield covering the top half of her body as she slowly stood up, hearing gunshots continuing to go off but knowing they wouldn’t hit her for the time being, but it reminded her she had to be quick.

She pushed more of her magic into the shield; making it so it covered the entirety of the front of her body so she was no longer at risk of taking a bullet to her legs. She moved forward towards the barricade before she ducked down in front of the table and she crawled around behind it.

“ _Expelliarmus_ ,” Hermione muttered when she heard the sound of the clip being reloaded and the gun flew from the hunter’s hand and into hers. “ _Stupefy_ ,” she said, the stunner hitting Dexter in the chest and she heard the thud as he fell to the floor.

Knowing he was detained, for now, Hermione sent a ball of light up into the air, providing enough lighting in the room that she could see bullet holes in the wall and door and shell casings on the ground. She turned her eyes to the hunter who looked to have been sleeping behind the barricade, a sleeping bag being laid out on the ground and a backpack being used as a pillow.

Hermione levitated Dexter until he was sitting up against the wall and she cast an _Incarcerous_ to ensure he couldn’t escape. She then checked him for any more weapons and found a silver knife and two other handguns, before she moved them far out of reach.

She then cast an _Enervate_ , and Dexter slowly came to, his eyes blinking in the bright lights in the room before they landed on her.

“Hello, I presume you’re Shaun Dexter,” she spoke, crouched down in front of him with her head tilted to the side, her wand hidden up her sleeve and her arms draped over her legs and dangling down towards the ground.

“You know my name, but I don’t know yours,” he replied, his green eyes taking in the features of her face with caution, and he huffed out a breath, blowing a stray piece of blonde hair out of his face.

“I imagine not. Do you know the name, Hermione Granger?” She questioned.

His eyes narrowed and he frowned slightly. “I’ve heard it in passing,” he admitted.

She blinked, having not expected that answer. After all, she was better known with the hunters in Europe, she hadn’t expected her fame to have travelled to other continents.

“From what I’ve heard, she’s a hunter that hunts other hunters.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course you people would make me out to be the bad guy,” she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“You’re _her_?”

“I am, what gave it away, my accent?” She raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t answer her. “I’m not a hunter, I’m a protector and a liaison, or at least I was before I was transferred to the States, my current job’s a little different,” she shrugged. “Anyway, my job was to ensure that hunters such as yourself stayed far away from those that were on our protection list. You were free to hunt those that harmed a human, but if you harm an innocent, that’s when problems arise and I’m brought in to clean up the mess. From our records, you’ve fifty-three confirmed kills and twenty-six suspected kills, and unfortunately for you, almost a third of those are of those that were on our protection list, so, you committed a crime and it’s my job to take you in, and I must warn you, I’m in a very bad mood because of you. I’d rather be home in bed snuggling with my dog and drinking chocolate milkshakes, but instead, I’m here in a creepy arse building with a rampaging werewolf on the loose. Don’t worry though, my associates are taking care of him for me.”

“Surely we can come to an arrangement,” he spoke, his eyes trailing her features and a spark of heat flickering in his eyes.

“Afraid not,” she replied. “I’ve a job to do and if I let you go I could get in a lot of trouble. I admit, you’re good at evading capture, the Americans have been after you for two years, but I’m the best at what I do, hence my finding you in less than eight hours. And you could look at me that way all you wish to, I’m not going to let you go free in exchange for sexual favours. I admit my hormones are all over the place at the moment, and that you’re handsome...” He smirked at her. “But, you see, I’m pregnant.” His smirk dropped from his face and his eyes fell to her stomach. “Exactly, if my partner finds out you shot at me, he’ll kill you, so you see, I’m actually doing you a favour by arresting you. But first, it’s my understanding you’ve got two known innocent werewolves held hostage and I want to know where they are. If you tell me it’ll help your case and although you’ll still get life imprisonment, you might be eligible for a few luxury items a few years into your sentence.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he told her.

“Hmm,” she hummed. “Very well, I was hoping to not have to do this because it leaves my victim with a monstrous headache, but I suppose it’s your fault since you refused the easy option.”

She slipped her wand from her sleeve and muttered, “ _Legilimens_ ,” and she was instantly sucked into his mind. She felt sickened at some of the things she saw in his memories but she focused on finding Ronnie and Connor, and after a few minutes, she pulled back from his mind, leaving him panting and he slumped against the wall.

“What did you do to me?” He asked her, his face paling and he groaned as the monstrous headache she’d warned him about hit him.

“You’ll never know, and even if I weren’t pregnant, I wouldn’t sleep with you. You’re rotten to the core. The prettiest things usually are the deadliest, and thank you for giving me everything I needed. The next time you wake up, you’ll be in a holding cell and waiting to be put on trial for your crimes.”

She knocked him out and stood up, feeling herself going dizzy and she held onto the overturned table to steady herself and keep her upright. She hated having to go digging through someone’s mind no matter the circumstances, but now she was pregnant it’d been a lot harder to concentrate on her end goal and remain in control of her magic. She’d pushed her magic to the limit that day, especially after several apparition jumps, using blood tracking magic, casting her shields, casting offensive magic _and_ using Legilimency. It was a wonder she was still standing, and she knew she’d be getting a headache of her own soon.

She shook her head and strained her hearing, understanding that the fight between the three werewolves wasn’t yet over; the one they were after was obviously putting up a fight. She sighed before she bent down and gripped Dexter by the shoulder and she spun on her heel.

~000~000~000~

Hermione had been gone from the storage facility just over half an hour, and in that time frame, she’d transported Shaun Dexter to The Ministry, earning surprised responses from those that were on duty as she strolled into the offices with a man they’d been after for two years. She filled out the paperwork as quickly as she could before she apparated to an abandoned cottage about fifteen miles from the storage facility, where she found both werewolves held hostage in the basement.

It had taken her a little while to get the two werewolves to trust her, especially the terrified teenage girl, but after a little while, she was able to knock them both out, she freed them of their restraints and apparated them to the Maybelle Motel, where she’d already purchased two rooms for the night. She did a little altering of their memories to ensure they wouldn’t suffer too greatly from what had happened to them, by removing the worst of the torture she knew they’d endured, and after tending to their wounds, she left them both sleeping in their rooms and apparated back to the storage facility.

She stepped out of the building and made her way back to the parked cars, feeling the exhaustion of using so much magic in one day beginning to set in. She knew she was going to sleep tonight.

She caught sight of James sitting in the driver’s side of Derek’s car with the door left open and he seemed unable to sit still, while Derek was pacing back and forth agitatedly, running his hand through his hair and growls emitting from him every so often.

“Where the hell have you been?” Derek demanded. He stopped in his pacing and he turned to face her, an angry-looking scowl on his face and a growl wrapping around his words.

“Taking care of Dexter,” she replied, watching Derek like he was a ticking time bomb that was about to explode and her steps towards him slowed.

He sighed at seeing her reaction to him and after running his hand through his hair once more, he quickly approached her, taking her in his arms and hugging her to him tightly. His nose brushed the skin of her neck and she heard him inhale deeply while he muttered words under his breath, she didn’t know what, it sounded like another language, Spanish, she thought.

“I’m absolutely fine,” she told him, her voice muffled as her face was pressed into his chest.

“We heard the gunshots,” he said.

“And not a single one hit me, like I said they wouldn’t. Now, you’re squeezing and I can’t breathe.”

His hold on her loosened enough that she was able to step back from him but a growl of warning slipped from his mouth and she rolled her eyes when he tugged her back into him, this time with his chest to her back so she stood in front of him and his arm wrapped around her possessively to rest against her stomach.

“We searched the entire building, _twice_ , we couldn’t find you,” James spoke, stepping out of the car.

“That’s because I wasn’t here,” she shrugged her shoulders, her eyes searching him for injuries. He had a few nasty looking wounds on his torso and one on his face, but they didn’t seem to be bothering him so she assumed he wasn’t worried about them. He was talking to her and standing up perfectly fine, too.

“What do you mean? Where were you?” He frowned.

“I took Dexter to my offices, he’s been detained and he’s currently sitting in a cell unconscious.”

“And Ronnie and Connor?”

She smiled at him and she felt Derek let out a sigh of relief. “Both fine,” she assured him. “Once I dropped Dexter off, I retrieved them. It took me longer to convince them I was friendly than it did to take out Dexter.” She dug into her pocket and pulled out two room keys, throwing them both to James and he caught them, looking down at them confused. “They’re both currently asleep and healing in rooms nine and ten of the Maybelle Motel.”

“How? How did you find them, rescue them, get them to safety and return here in less than an hour and all without help or a car?” She smiled at him innocently. “I know, you can’t tell me,” he spoke, looking at Hermione in awe.

“There’s something else, too,” she said, once more reaching into her pocket and pulling out a piece of paper, and seeing as Derek didn’t want to release her from his hold, James walked over to her and took it from her.

His eyes widened and he spluttered. “Twenty-five grand? What’s that for?”

Her smile widened. “Turns out there’s a bounty on Shaun Dexter. I collected it and had them make it out to you. Once you cash the cheque the money should be in your bank within a few days.”

“I can’t take it, you’re the one that did all the work,” he told her, trying to push it back into her hands.

She shook her head and folded her arms over her chest. “No, it’s yours; I don’t need the money, do you?” She asked, looking up at Derek over her shoulder.

“Definitely not,” Derek snorted, apparently being in a better mood now.

“See, it’s yours. You’re the one that lost a family member; you can use the money to give him a proper send-off.” He stared at her. “I assume the werewolf’s dead.”

Derek nodded. “That stuff you gave me did what you said it would. We’ve burned the body.”

She bit her lip. “I should probably do a loop through the building, I’m sure your blood’s all over the place and it’ll lead back to you. I need to do a crime scene clean up.”

“You can apparently travel to places quicker than humanly possible, you can defend against bullets, you can track someone from miles away, you can speed up the healing process of the human body and you can do a crime scene clean up, too. Is there anything you can’t do?” James asked, watching her with wide eyes.

Hermione bit her lip in thought. “Chess. I can’t play chess, I suck at it.”

James blinked and Derek snorted as Hermione wriggled her way free of his hold and she turned and headed for the building once more.

“Derek, what the hell is she?” James asked, watching Hermione’s retreating back.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Derek replied, slipping his hands into his jean pockets, also watching Hermione with a fond smile on his face.

“I actually believe you. She’s a fucking miracle worker, that one.”

“You don’t have to tell me, I already know.”

~000~000~000~

By the time they returned to the Maybelle Motel, it was after three o’clock in the morning, Hermione was dead on her feet and Derek had to carry her to the motel room as she was so tired she could barely walk. She’d told him what she’d done in the car, about her reading Dexter’s mind and altering Ronnie’s and Connor’s memories –which more than surprised him that she could do that, James was right. What couldn’t she do?- and how it was now taking its toll on her body and magic, and of course she was already tired from the pregnancy.

He’d been worried when she’d dropped off to sleep soon after, his eyes darting between watching the road and her, making sure there was nothing wrong with her. After saying a quick goodbye to James, Derek entered his motel room with a half-asleep Hermione in his arms and he placed her on the bed, helping her to remove her shoes and jacket.

Not knowing if she had any clothing with her and she being too tired to answer his questions, he crossed the room to his duffle bag –being so glad that he always kept a go-bag in the car for emergencies- and he removed a clean t-shirt and made his way back over to her.

Apparently not caring for being naked in front of him, after all, he’d already seen her naked, she tiredly stripped off her jeans and t-shirt, revealing her half-naked form to him and only being clad in her cotton underwear. There was nothing sexy about it, but she hadn’t intended for there to be.

Derek’s eyes flickered down to her stomach seeing it lacking any evidence of her pregnancy, but for a brief moment, he caught sight of a small selection of scars gathered close to her right hip, before it was covered when Hermione pulled his t-shirt over her head. It was far too big for her but she didn’t care, the fabric was comfortable and soft against her skin and his scent lingered on the fabric, invading her nose and helping her to fall asleep before her head had even hit the pillow.

Derek covered her with the blanket before he went into the bathroom, removing his bloody and torn t-shirt to see a few wounds on his chest but they were already healing. There weren’t as bad as they were the night before and he knew they’d be healed by the morning. He threw the t-shirt in the bin and jumped in the shower, being careful of his injuries. When he dried himself off and dug through his medical supplies, he applied a few bandages to his wounds and then dressed in a clean t-shirt and underwear.

Without hesitation he climbed into bed behind Hermione, instinctively pulling her sleeping form over to him and he wrapped himself around her, pressing his hand to her stomach and his nose in the crook of her neck and shoulder, breathing in her scent which lulled him into a peaceful sleep.

~000~000~000~

Hermione woke to something heavy thrown over her waist and feeling warm, really warm. The sun flittered in through the gap in the curtains and bathed her face in the warm of its rays, and her eyes fluttered open when she felt something nuzzling at her neck. Adjusting to the light in the room, she looked down to see the heavyweight being an arm and she felt a rumble in the chest that was pressed up to her back.

“I don’t think you realise how much like a wolf you really are,” she muttered, her voice sounding groggy as she hadn’t yet fully woke up.

She felt his deep chuckle. “No?” He said, and he sounded far more awake than she felt.

“No, stop sniffing at me, it’s weird.”

“Not to me,” he replied with a shrug, his hand smoothing over her clothed stomach, back and forth.

“You didn’t seriously sniff at every girl you came into contact with, did you? Because if you did, I might have to rethink this whole strange relationship we have.”

He snorted at her. “No, only you.”

“And you don’t think that’s weird?”

“No, it’s a wolf thing. You’re carrying my baby, you smell like me. It’s comforting that my scent’s all over you, it’ll offer you protection, too. Any other wolf you come into contact with will smell another wolf over you and know that you’re part of a pack, they’ll know you’re protected and should they harm you they’ll bring war to themselves.”

“Scott hasn’t said anything,” she replied.

“He might now be an Alpha, but he hasn’t been a werewolf long, and he wasn’t born one like me. It’s instinctual for me to pick up on the scent of another werewolf, Scott’s still learning. Your scent’s different not only because of me, but the baby, too. Scott hadn’t met you before you were pregnant so he won’t notice the difference, but I do. I remember what you smiled like that night and although it’s only a subtle change, I can still pick up on it.”

“Whatever you say,” she mumbled, closing her eyes and snuggling back into the pillow beneath her. “What time is it?”

“A little after eleven,” he answered.

“I’m going back to sleep, I’m exhausted.”

“Really? You got a full eight hours and you never once moved in your sleep.”

“I didn’t? Not even a little bit?” She asked, sounding surprised.

“No, not even when James came by a few hours ago to thank you and say goodbye. He left around nine this morning, wanting to get Ronnie and Connor back to their families.”

“Have you been awake since?” She asked. He nodded and she felt the movement against her neck. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

“You obviously needed your sleep or you would’ve woken when James was here, he wasn’t exactly quiet; he woke up half the residents.”

She snorted at him. “Well, as I said, I wore myself out yesterday. I haven’t used that much magic in one day in a long time and the pregnancy doesn’t help either.”

“Well, you go back to sleep for a bit if you’re tired.”

“And what are you going to do whilst I’m sleeping?”

“I’m good here,” he shrugged, pulling her closer to him and slipping his other arm under her to cushion her head.

“You’re really strange,” were her last words before she fell back to sleep.

~000~000~000~

The second time Hermione woke, it was to the feel of a hot hand being pressed against the bare skin of her stomach and fingertips tracing gentle patterns below her belly button where her baby was growing and developing.

Feeling too hot, she kicked the blanket off herself, sighing when the coolness of the room hit the bare skin of her legs like a summer’s breeze.

A chuckle from behind her had her eyes opening. “What?” She grumbled. “It’s like I’m cuddling a bloody volcano, you’re hot.”

“Thanks,” he muttered against her neck. Seriously? He was still sniffing her?

“Shut up,” she sighed. “What time is it?”

“A little after two-thirty,” he answered.

“And what have you been doing for the last three hours?”

“This,” he shrugged his shoulders, his nose continuing to run the length of her neck and she brought her hands up above her head to stretch out her body, he moved to nuzzle at the new skin available to him. A giggle left her and she reached over to slap at his shoulder.

“Stop that, it tickles,” she complained and he chuckled at her. “I’m hungry,” she sighed.

“You slept through breakfast and lunch. What do you want?”

“Ice-cream,” she answered.

“You can’t have ice-cream for lunch, it’s got no nutritional value and it’s not just you now. You need actual food.”

“Sorry, Mum,” she replied sarcastically.

“We’ll get you ice-cream for dessert, but what do you want for an actual meal?”

“I don’t know, something with mash potato, maybe a hamburger or even tomato soup. Oh, I know, all three.”

“That sounds disgusting,” his nose twitched.

“No, it sounds wonderful, disgusting is fish tacos.”

“Can’t argue with you on that one,” he chuckled.

“We should probably get up, we have to get back to Beacon Hills, and I need to pick up Magic from Scott’s, and Crookshanks and Snowball have been on their own since yesterday lunchtime. They’ll need feeding and tending to. I’d prefer to apparate but I don’t think my magic’s up to it.”

“The Lord does have mercy,” he said.

“It’s a lot better than an hour and a half drive. I could have us home within minutes, the only side effect is feeling a little nauseous for a few minutes afterwards.”

“It’s not little, it’s a genuine problem.”

“Stop complaining, I’m nauseous every day and I actually do throw up. And it’s your fault,” she said.

“How’s it my fault?”

“It’s your baby that’s doing it to me,” she grouched.

“Hey, you were there, too, Witch. It takes two to make a baby.”

“No, I’m blaming you. You and your bloody super sperm.”

“Super sperm, really?”

“Really, how else would you explain me getting knocked up on the first go?”

He shrugged. “It’s could’ve been the second, or the third, or even the fourth,” he smirked against her skin and she lifted her hand to once more slap at his shoulder.

“I’m still blaming you.”

“Well, there’s only one way to find out,” he muttered, his hand smoothing over her stomach but she brought her hand up to stop his from moving further.

“I want food,” she sighed.

“But you said your hormones were acting up, what kind of person would I be if I let the mother of my child suffer?”

She snorted at him. “Well, right now my hormones are still asleep and I need feeding. You feed me, you feed the baby.”

“Fine,” he grumbled, reluctantly releasing her from his hold and pulling back from her.

He sat up with his back pressing against the headboard, watching as she climbed out of bed, stretched with her hands above her head and her t-shirt rode up her body and he titled his head to the side, watching the movement with his mouth twitching into a smile.

“Oi, stop staring, you need to feed me,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and narrowing her eyes at him.

He rolled his eyes. “Alright, let’s see if we can get you your disgusting food.”

She scoffed. “Well, I won’t be sharing with you then, will I? More for me,” she said, storming into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her in a huff, leaving behind his laughter.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 9

“Are you happy now?” Derek asked Hermione, being grateful that they were nearing Beacon Hills and they should be arriving within the next twenty minutes.

“Very,” she nodded, sipping at her milkshake.

After they’d both gotten ready and packed up their belongings, they left the motel to find a place for an early dinner, and an hour later they were on the road and making their way back home, but halfway through the journey Hermione really had to pee, so he had to stop. Not long after that, Hermione had forced him to stop at a diner –and at actual wand point, too, which both amused and frightened him- so she could get a milkshake, and after fifteen minutes of sitting inside, they left with Hermione ordering a second one to go, which she was now sipping at.

“I’m not sure if all this chocolate and ice-cream is good the baby,” Derek commented.

“I don’t care, it’s the baby that wants it, not me,” she replied. He snorted at her. “Don’t forget we have to pick up Magic,” she reminded him as the sign welcoming them to Beacon Hills came into view.

He rolled his eyes but he did make sure to take the turning that led to Scott’s house, rather than the turning that took them to the road by the woods. As soon as they pulled up and Hermione climbed out of the car, a still half full milkshake in her hand, she heard barking coming from the house and moments later, the door opened and her puppy came bounding out the house and over to her, almost tripping in his excitement.

He jumped up at her excitedly and she laughed and crouched down on the ground, Magic jumping to lick at her face with his tail wagging happily.

“I missed you, too,” she laughed, scratching at his head and she stood up when Scott appeared with the backpack she’d given him.

“Hey,” she smiled, standing up after she’d gathered Magic in her arms and being careful not to drop her milkshake. “Thank you for looking after him, I know he’s a handful.”

Scott smiled. “He’s energetic, but I wouldn’t say he’s a handful. Saying that, he had me up at five o’clock this morning wanting to go for a run.”

“And you gave in?”

He shrugged and smiled. “I needed the fresh air.”

“At five in the morning, yes, I’m sure you did,” she replied.

He snorted at her. “You’re lucky you actually got him back, my mom wanted to keep him. She would’ve hidden him from you if she hadn’t had a shift at the hospital.”

“Why do you make everyone fall in love with you?” She asked her puppy, looking down at him. He barked and licked her face in response. She shook her head and looked back up to Scott. “Well, I suppose we better go, I’ve got to check on Crookshanks and Snowball.”

Hermione put Magic down on the ground so she could pull the envelope of cash out of her pocket and give it to Scott, but before she could, Magic darted to the car and jumped inside onto the seat before Hermione could even stop him. She waited for Derek’s anger at him ruining the seats but he just chuckled as her puppy forced himself onto his lap, despite his size and he licked Derek’s face.

Hermione shook her head and turned back to Scott. “Right, he’s your payment, thank you again.”

“Like I said, he was no bother, I’m actually going to miss him and if you need me to watch him again, I’ll happily do so.”

“Thanks, I’ll probably see you around at some point,” she said before she climbed into the car, shut the door and fastened her seatbelt and called Magic until he climbed onto her lap. Hermione waved at Scott and Derek gave him a nod, before they pulled away.

~000~000~000~

“Wait a minute,” Hermione said, stopping Derek from stepping into the cottage after she’d opened the door.

“Why?” He asked her and watching as Magic bounded inside to terrorise Crookshanks.

“Give me your finger,” she instructed.

He raised an eyebrow but did as asked and he blinked when she touched her wand to the pad of his index finger, making a small incision.

“What are you doing?” He asked, but she ignored him.

She guided him forward and squeezed a blood droplet from the cut and then pressed his finger to the wall of the cottage, whilst she waved her wand with the other hand and muttered under breath until the entire cottage and the ground below it seemed to glow a blue-hued colour, and then it disappeared. By the time she pulled his finger back, it had already healed.

“Alright, what was that and why was your house glowing?” He asked her.

“I’ve added you to the wards,” she replied.

“And that means?” He prompted.

“The cottage will only allow me access due to the magical barriers surrounding it and the property, but you can enter when you’re with me. But now I’ve made it so you can access the cottage without my presence. Now, if we’re both out and you get back before I do, you can get in, whereas before you’d have to wait for me.”

She waved her wand and a set of keys appeared, floating in front of her. She reached up and plucked them out of the air before handing them to his surprised form.

“The cottage recognises you as its resident and should you ever be in danger, all you have to do is come here and the land wands of the property will protect you. No one but you or I can get past. I needed your blood so I could set the wards to recognise your genetic makeup, and don’t tell anyone either, blood magic’s highly illegal as it’s associated with dark magic. I’d definitely be arrested if someone found out.”

“Wait, that’s why you had me pick out the different scents in the blood, isn’t it?”

“Yes, using his blood I was able to track him and get a firm lock on his location. Blood magic’s illegal because it’s archaic and dangerous. If the wrong person uses it, it can be used to kill someone. A lot of old Pureblood properties contain blood wards that keep out anyone that isn’t of the same blood of the family, and they protect the mistresses and masters of the land, too. Over the centuries and decades it’s grown so powerful the magic can’t be removed, no matter how hard someone tries to dismantle it,” she explained, before she walked into the cottage, immediately being greeted by a meowing Crookshanks as he darted through her legs and rubbed up against her ankles.

“I missed you, too, Crooks,” she said, walking over to the kitchen so she could refill his food and water bowl, and she did the same for Snowball.

He hooted and flapped his wings when he saw her and she laughed and held her hand out. He hopped onto it and she sat him on her shoulder as he rubbed his head against her cheek.

“Not too much longer and you’ll be able to fly again, you’ll be free,” she told him, reaching up to gently stroke the feathers of his face and he pecked at her finger affectionately.

Hermione turned around to see Derek sat on the couch and Magic was sprawled across his lap and when she looked to him, he was watching her with a small smile on his face.

“What?” She asked him.

He shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing, I’ve just realised you’re a Dr. Doolittle.”

“He could speak to animals and was an actual doctor,” she pointed out.

“But you do attract animals,” he replied.

“I see your point,” she nodded. “I mean, what are the chances that a guy I happen to meet in a bar is a werewolf? Only I could do that,” she spoke, rolling her eyes at herself, before she turned and headed to the library.

“Where are you going?” He called, looking at her over the back of the couch.

“To the library, and no, you can’t come, I’m working on a project and I’m barricading myself in.”

~000~000~000~

By the time Hermione left the library it had grown dark outside, it was well after ten o’clock and her eyes were hurting from her research. She rubbed her hands over her face before calling it a night, returning her books back to their rightful places and she collected Snowball from where he was perched on a bookshelf.

He hopped onto her hand and after returning him to his cage, she headed to her room to change into her pyjamas, opting for a pair of pink cotton shorts and a white spaghetti strap top, seeing as it was so warm in the cottage that night.

Feeling peckish she left her room with the goal of making herself a snack before heading to bed, only her plan was derailed when Derek stepped out the bathroom and into her path. Before she could stop herself she barrelled into him and she reached out to grip at his arms to steady herself, while his did the same.

She shook her head and slowly lifted her eyes from the ground, immediately locking on the sight of Derek’s naked torso glistening with water droplets. He had a towel wrapped around his hips and his hair was damp, obviously, he’d just had a shower.

Heat flooded her cheeks, a zing of heat shot through her at his nakedness and his scent swarming her and invading her nose, and she swallowed, slowly lifting her eyes to meet his. He looked down at her with dark eyes and an arched eyebrow.

“You alright?”

“Fine,” she squeaked. Her cheeks darkened and she cleared her throat when a smirk pulled at his mouth. “Fine,” she repeated, calmly pulling herself away from him and walking around him to the kitchen.

She pulled out the fixings for a sandwich, calmly and quietly making her snack while being completely aware of the fact Derek had followed after her and he was watching her, his gaze sending fire through her and she took a deep, calming breath. She heard his chuckle and she gripped the knife in her hand tightly until her knuckles went white, when his chest pressed up against her back, pushing her into the counter.

“Don’t,” she breathed out, shaking her head.

“Don’t what?” He asked innocently, his hands coming up to grip at her hips and he pulled her back slightly until her arse hit his groin.

“You know what,”

“I think I do,” he muttered, lowering his nose to nuzzle at her neck and he smirked when she titled her head to the side to give him better access. “Let me guess, your _hormones_.”

“Yes, and if you don’t stop that I’ll...” She trailed off with a sigh, tipping her head further yet again when he gently nipped at her neck with his teeth.

“You’ll?” He prompted.

“I’ll _bite_ you,” she muttered.

“Is that a promise?” He spoke her words back to her from the night before and her breath hitched.

His grip on her tightened and he pulled her flush against him, allowing his tongue to dart out and flick at her skin, a growl rumbling in his chest at the way she trembled against him and she dropped the knife onto the counter, her hand moving to grip at his on her hips when a zing of heat shot south and she gasped, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip.

He inhaled deeply and another growl left him, this one louder and more animalistic, more primal that she felt herself reacting to the sound, that she felt herself wanting to give him all of her.

“I can _smell_ you, you know?” His deep voice rumbled into her neck. “You might’ve been hiding it from me before, but now I know. You can’t hide from me anymore, Little Witch. I know you want me.”

Hermione let out a whimpering sound when he placed butterfly kisses to her throat and dragged his teeth across her shoulder, biting down gently. Hermione’s knees buckled and she almost collapsed and she would’ve done if he didn’t have such a tight grip on her.

“I don’t know why you’re so smug, I can _feel_ you want me, too,” she breathed out, bringing notice to the fact his hardened member was pressed against her arse.

“I’m not denying that,” he replied. “How can I not want you? You’re a teasing temptress with the way you smell, with how responsive you are to my touch,” he said as his hand moved to slip under her top and smooth over the bare skin of her stomach, while he nibbled at her earlobe and his facial hair scratched her skin deliciously. A moan fell from her lips.

“Got ya,” he whispered.

Hermione let out a groan and gave in. She spun around in his hold, reached up and dragged his mouth down to hers with a hand on the back of his neck. He emitted a growl when her mouth crashed against his and her tongue darted out to seek entrance to his mouth. He granted her it, and lifted her up, settling her on the counter and her legs wrapped around his hips as his hands began wondering her body and hers did the same, one latching onto his damp strands and tugging.

She kissed him until she was breathless and then pulled back to trail a path of kisses and nips down his cheek, across his jaw, down his throat and over his neck and shoulder. When she reached the junction of his neck and shoulder, she bit down hard enough that he felt it and a growl sounded from him and his hips bucked forward.

“Got ya,” she whispered back.

He brought his mouth back to hers and she squeaked when he lifted her off the counter and moved through the room, down the corridor and into her bedroom. Her back hit the soft mattress of her bed and he lowered himself onto her, grinding his hips against her.

“These bloody hormones are driving me crazy, I don’t think I can wait much longer,” she breathed out when she pulled her mouth from his so she could look at him.

“You’re such a charmer,” he teased her, lowering his mouth to nip at her lip.

She scowled at him before she lifted her hand from his shoulder and reached out for her wand that she’d left on the bedside table.

“What are you doing?” He asked her with a raised eyebrow.

Her response was to mutter, “ _Divesto_ ,” and he blinked when he was suddenly free of his towel and all her clothing disappeared, leaving them both naked.

“Well, that’ll come in handy,” he told her, before he took her wand from her, dropped it back onto the bedside table and then took her mouth in a consuming, breath-stealing kiss.

She shuffled beneath him and he chuckled at her, his hand smoothing across her soft skin and slipping between them, two fingers quickly filling her and his thumb working at her little bundle of nerves like a pro. She tore her mouth from his and threw her head back, a keening whine falling from her lips and her eyes shut tightly as her hands gripped at his shoulder and hair tighter.

His dark eyes watched her greedily, his ears ringing from the sounds he pulled from her, his nose was invaded by the scent of her, of her arousal and it was dizzying to him. He shook his head when he felt her walls fluttering around his fingers.

 _‘That was quick,_ ’ he thought to himself. Her hormones really were doing a number on her, he realised. He’d read about pregnant women being more sensitive but he didn’t think it was to that extent. God, she was on the verge of orgasm after only a few minutes!

He twisted his fingers inside her and she gasped loudly, her body jerked and she clamped down onto him, a mumbled cry of his name falling from her mouth as she buried her face into his neck. He guided her through the wave until she slumped into the mattress and he removed his hand to shuffle above her.

“Better?” He asked, his dark eyes burning with heat and fire.

She breathed heavily and his eyes fell briefly to her breasts as they rose and fell with every breath she took before he returned his gaze to her face.

“Surprisingly not,” she replied. He raised an eyebrow and slowly began to move down her body, his intentions clear but she stopped him and dragged him back up to her. “No,” she shook her head.

“But you smell _so_ good,” he all but pouted and he breathed in deeply, a growl rumbling in his throat as if to prove a point.

“That’s your wolf,” she told him. “Not only is he aware that I smell like you, he knows I’m carrying your child, too.”

“But..”

“No, next time,” she promised him.

Before he could argue she pulled him down to her and snogged him silly, until she found herself being pulled tightly against him, he rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him. His hands smoothed over the soft skin of her back before one came up to her hair, untied the bobble and her curls spilled down her back and over her shoulders and his hands buried themselves in the mass of wild curls.

She pulled back from him to look down at him. “You’ve got a thing about my hair, haven’t you?” She said.

“What makes you say that?” He questioned.

“The fact that you always seem to pull it out of the bobble and bury your hands in it, and you don’t seem to want to let go either.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Most men prefer boobs, legs or arses, but not you, you prefer my hair.”

“What can I say, I’m different,” he said. “But I do like your legs and ass, too,” he said.

She snorted at him. “And not my boobs?”

“No, I like them, too,” he said.

“Merlin, you’re a strange wolf,” she sighed, shaking her head lightly.

He shrugged his shoulders and brought his mouth back to hers, and when she shifted slightly above him, he let one hand fall from her hair to move down and grip her hip as her hand slipped between them, a growl fell from his lips and she worked her hand over him and then she positioned him at her entrance.

With her eyes locked on his, he thrust into her and a gasp fell from her mouth and her eyes shut briefly, and when they opened it was to see Derek’s teeth gritted together and his eyes flashing between his dark brown and the bright blue of his wolf. Hermione was mesmerised by it. He shook his head and when he opened his eyes, they were back to brown and Hermione felt a little disappointed that she couldn’t stare into the beautiful orbs that were brighter than any star.

She kissed him lightly on the mouth before she pushed herself up, pressing her hands on either side of his head to keep balance and before she could begin her movements, he spoke.

“I want to see you,” he said. She frowned in confusion. “ _All_ of you.”

Her eyes widened and she shook her head, a retort on her lips but unable to voice it.

“Yes, I want all of you. You’re not going to scare me away.”

She took a deep breath before steeling herself for rejection, then muttering, ‘ _Finite_ ,’ under her breath.

As all of her scars were slowly revealed, his eyes scanned each one carefully, determining the size and age and what the possible cause was, but he didn’t recoil in disgust. He lifted his hand from her hip to gently trail the bite scar on her right forearm, before moving up to the circular burn on her shoulder. He trailed his fingers over her throat to follow the line, and then his eyes fell to one of the largest scars he’d ever seen. It started at her right shoulder and went down the valley of her breasts, under her left breast and then down to her left hip.

Anger surged in him. He couldn’t even imagine how she’d gotten such a scar, but he made it a point to find out. He took a calming breath to settle the wolf in his chest, and he turned his eyes to the collection of little scars he’d seen the night before, close to her right hip. He lifted his eyes to her, seeing her worrying at her lip and her face steeled as though she were expecting him to reject her, to insult her. How could she think he’d do that?

“You’re beautiful,” he told her honestly.

She sighed in relief and then bent down to kiss him, finally beginning to move her hips over him and his hand returned to her hip to guide her in her movements, while the other still remained buried in her hair, and she was right, he was determined to have the soft curls tangled around his fingers for as long as he could get away with.

There was just something about her hair; it was soft and thick, and wild and untameable and from what he knew of her so far, he thought it was a perfect representation. He knew from experience that if she wanted to do something, she would. He knew that she was soft and kind, but she was also fierce and determined. She reminded him of a wolf, which was probably one of the reasons why he was so attracted to her. She needed to be free, she needed to run wild and explore and learn and live, which is why he was always removing her hair from its restraint, so it could be free like the rest of her. 

Feeling her walls fluttering around him, he planted his feet against the bed and when he found his footing, he thrust up into her until she clamped down on him and she pulled her mouth from his, burying her face in his neck and she pulled him over the edge, too.

She collapsed on top of him and he held her against him tightly, his hand still buried in her hair but massaging at her scalp gently.

“Better?” He spoke a few minutes later.

“So much better,” she sighed, nuzzling at his chest with her nose and she placed a soft kiss to the spot, his wolf purring in his chest at the gesture. “I can’t believe we wasted all that bloody time tiptoeing around each other.”

He snorted. “Right, so from now on, no more secrets. We’re honest with each other, agreed?”

“Pinky promise,” she said, holding her pinky finger out to him.

He chuckled at her but hooked his own pinky finger around hers. “Pinky promise,” he said.

She fell asleep with a smile on her face and he found himself watching her. His eyes cataloguing her beautiful features and committing them to memory, his hands playing with her hair and smoothing over her soft skin, and as he watched her, he couldn’t help but marvel that this beautiful woman, this little witch, was the mother of his baby.

She’d given him a family, a pack, something he’d never thought he’d have. She’d given him a second chance at life and she’d brought a spark back into his life.

As he watched her sigh in her sleep and a mumble of his name fell from her lips, his face pulled into a smile and his chest filled with warmth.

He realised that maybe his feelings for her were a lot stronger than he’d previously thought.

He realised, that despite the short time they’d known each, he was actually falling for her, and what is fall it was.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 9

The next morning found Hermione waking up and surrounded by warmth, but it was comforting giving the slight draught in the room as the window had been cracked open at some point during the night, obviously, Derek’s doing.

Hermione lifted her head and looked around to see Crookshanks and Magic both curled up at the end of her bed, snuggled together and sleeping while the early morning sun shone through the curtains and bathed a patch on the floor.

She felt Derek shift behind her as he slowly woke from sleep and his grip on her automatically tightened, pulling her back against him and his nose burying in her neck.

“Morning,” she said, sighing softly when he nudged her hair back from her neck and nuzzled at the spot.

“Hmm,” he hummed in reply. “How’d you sleep?”

“Perfect,” she answered.

“I suppose I did wear you out,” he muttered and she lifted her hand to slap at the arm that was thrown over her waist and pressed to her stomach.

“Shut it,” she warned, but there was no malice in her tone.

She tried to shuffle free from his hold but he held tighter. She huffed in annoyance and gripped onto his arm, lifting it from her waist, only for him to wrap it back around her.

“Bloody hell, Derek, will you let go? I’m not going anywhere, I just need to stretch,” she rolled her eyes.

He muttered something but she wasn’t able to hear or understand him, but he did release her from his hold. She rolled onto her back and lifted her arms above her head and stretched her body out, her back making a satisfying ‘clicking’ sound and she sighed, brushing her hair out of her face and then dropping her arms onto her stomach, staring up at the ceiling.

“So, are you going to tell me how you got your scars?” He asked, propping himself up on his elbow and one hand slipping under the blanket to splay across her stomach.

She wondered if it was a wolf thing, him wanting to touch her stomach all the time because he did it at every opportunity that he was presented with, especially since the day she’d healed him and they revealed their true feelings towards each other.

At his words her entire body went rigid and he shifted his eyes to her face, frowning slightly.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, I’m just curious about the situations you were in that resulted in such injuries,” he spoke. “It might help me to better understand everything that you were forced to face.”

She breathed out and closed her eyes, before titling her to the side to look at him.

“I’ll make you a deal,” she said. “If I tell you and you show a single ounce of pity for me, not only will I hex you, but I’ll make sure you’re never able to have children.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Seems a bit drastic,” he replied, looking more amused with her threat than frightened. “But seeing as I’ve already knocked you up and my wolf-line has a successor, I’ll agree to those terms.”

She frowned at him. “You really want to know how I got my scars that badly that you’ll willingly risk the chance of never being able to have another child?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Guess I do,”

“You know it’s not a bluff, right? I really would do it.”

“I know, especially with your hormones acting up, you’re more likely to do it now than you were before,” he said.

Her frown deepened before she shook her head and then turned to look back up at the ceiling.

“The small burn on my right shoulder, I got it during the Final Battle that ended the war. I was hit by a rogue _Incendio_ , it’s basically a ball of fire. You know the mark on my right forearm is from when I was bitten by a werewolf. The small collection of little scars by my right hip, I received them during the time that my friends and I were fugitives. The last year of the war we were forced to flee due to Voldemort not only taking over Hogwarts and killing Dumbledore, but he took control of our government and we were the three most wanted fugitives in the world. We survived in the wild for the better part of a year while trying to finish the mission given to us to destroy Voldemort once and for all. My friend, Harry, he walked into a trap and in order to save his life, I pushed both of us out of a two-story window. The scars are from the window glass shattering.”

His hand moved to the scars in question and flittered over them softly, absentmindedly counting that were eight of the little raised marks.

“The large one that travels the length of my torso and basically cuts me in half, it’s the one that frightens me the most,” she spoke, her voice sounding as though she was in a world of her own, and when he let his hand move to trail the scar, she shook her head, blinked and turned her head to look at him. “At the age of sixteen, I almost died. My life flashed before my eyes and I was convinced I was going to die,” she said quietly and he kept his gaze locked on hers. “I know _Hogwarts, a History_ explains what happed at The Department of Mysteries, but a lot of it was left out, it being deemed too traumatic for young children to read. During the battle, it’s hard to remember actually as there was so much going on, there were so many shouts and cries and flashes of light and explosions that I’ve blocked a lot of it out. But, I remember what he did to me,” she whispered.

“I can’t forget about it no matter how hard I try. Antonin Dolohov, he was some sort of charms prodigy when he was younger and he was well known for his practice of the Dark Arts, but also for creating his own dark curses. At the battle he cursed me and all I remember is heat and fire and burning and screaming, and I woke up in the hospital two weeks later. The healers had never seen anything like it, it was as if there was cursed, dark fire inside of me and it was burning me up from the inside out. The only reason I survived was that I’d managed to hit him with a Silencing Charm, forcing him to cast non-verbally, and not only is it difficult to perform magic without a wand and non-verbally, the magic tends to be weaker, too.”

“I was on bed rest for a month and I had a treatment regime of ten different potions a day for the following three months. It took me a week before I could even sit up by myself, and it was three walks before I could walk.”

She startled when she became aware of the low growling that was coming from beside her. She lifted her eyes to Derek’s face, seeing his dark orbs shimmering with anger, his jaw tense and he reached over and pulled her into him protectively, his chest touching her side.

“You can’t kill him,” she sighed.

“I’d like to see you stop me,” he muttered darkly.

“You can’t kill him,” she repeated. “He’s already dead.” The rumbled growling stopped but the anger didn’t leave his eyes. “I saw it, two spells collided and they ricocheted, hitting Dolohov in the back. He didn’t see it coming. I checked the body myself when the battle was over and we started collecting the bodies. By the time the battle was over, his body was cold.”

“He’s lucky he’s dead,”

“Well, you can calm your wolf, he’s gone now and he’s left me a lovely souvenir,” she sighed, reaching up to brush her hair back from her face with her left hand, and in the process, he caught sight of the hideous scar on her arm.

His hand flew up to grip at her wrist and he turned her arm over so he could better see it. The word ‘Mudblood’ carved into her with ugly and jagged lettering, looking as though a child had done it.

“What the fuck is that?” He asked, his voice low and dark, each word pronounced carefully, dangerously.

She flinched at the sight of it but took a calming breath, wincing slightly at the tight grip he had on her wrist but actually helped to pull her from her memories. Seeing her pain, he loosened his hold slightly.

“I was eighteen,” she said quietly, lowering her eyes to lock on a spot on the wall over his shoulder. “During our time on the run, towards the end of the war my friends and I were captured by the enemy side. We were taken to their base of operations, my friends were taken to the dungeons and seeing as I’m Muggleborn, hated and expendable in their eyes, they kept me on the upper floors. Bellatrix, the right hand to Voldemort tortured me for information, and I mean literal torture. She used _The Cruciatus_ , an Unforgivable and the use of it earns you a one-way ticket to prison giving how dark it us. Think of every form of torture possible and then roll them into one and the pain doesn’t stop; they don’t stop until you’re begging for death.”

“She grew bored of my unwillingness to answer her questions and turned to other means. Using a cursed blade, she carved this word into me. It will never truly heal and it can never be fully covered with the use of magic, which is why I use makeup or sleeves to do so.”

“I’m going to kill her,” he snarled out.

“Can’t, she’s dead,” she said flatly. “Molly Weasley killed her in the battle. Not only had she lost Fred, but Bellatrix went after her only daughter and youngest child, Ginny. In her grief, she was able to overpower Bellatrix and she killed her. I know for a fact the bat-shit crazy witch is suffering in hell, and it’s the least she deserves.”

He took a steadying breath to calm himself and he released her wrist, allowing her to fold her arms around herself.

“What does it mean?” He asked softly.

“It’s a derogatory word for someone of my blood, a Muggleborn witch. In literal terms it means that I’m filth, an abomination, someone not worthy of my magic and life,” she answered. A furious, horrified look entered his dark eyes, and much to her surprise, they flashed bright blue. “They believed that Muggleborns were stealing their magic and it being the reason for their children being born Squibs, a witch or wizard that has very little magic or no magic at all, making them non-magical. In actual fact, it has to do with all the inbreeding that had been happening for centuries.”

His arm wrapped around her waist and he tugged her even closer to him, pulling her onto her side to face him and wrapping his arm around her. She went willingly, finding comfort in his presence and the rumbling in his chest and she pressed her forehead to his chest, sighing.

“She _branded_ me so I would never forget where I belonged in the world, so that I would never forget that I was worthless and beneath everyone else. Dolohov’s scar is the most frightening, but Bellatrix’s is the most traumatising. There aren’t many people that know of my torture, only my friends and one of the Weasley boys and his wife, as they were the ones to heal me and their house was being used as a safe house.” His nose nuzzled at her temple and his breathing disturbed her hair, tickling against her skin. “The scar on my throat, that’s also from Bellatrix, when my friends broke free and they came to rescue me, Bellatrix held a knife to my throat.” His grip on her tightened and yet another growl fell from his lips. “With the help of a little house-elf called Dobby, he saved us, but in the process he died with a knife to his stomach.”

She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall at thinking about the energetic, helpful house-elf. She calmed herself and then pulled herself free from his hold, shifting to lay beside him on her stomach, allowing him to see her bare back when the covers shifted to her waist and she pulled her hair over one shoulder.

His eyes trailed the skin revealed to him, seeing several different sized and shaped scars, but his attention was caught by the black inked symbols that ran the length of her spine, ten symbols to be exact.

“You have a tattoo?” He said and even he heard the surprise in his voice.

A sparkle of amusement flittered through her eyes as she pushed herself up onto her forearms and turned her head to face him.

“Yes, I do. Surprised?”

He nodded. “It’s not something I’d expect to see on you.”

“Why not?” She arched her eyebrow.

“You just don’t seem like the type,” he said, unable to find another way to explain his thought process.

“Hence the reason no one knows about it, they’d either be too surprised to say anything, or they’d berate me for making a stupid decision and not acting like _myself_. But you see, it’s my life and my body and I chose what does and does not happen, no one gets to make that decision for me,” she spoke, and as he listened to her words he suspected there was a deeper meaning behind them, as if she was trying to tell him something without actually telling him.

“What are these symbols?” He asked, reaching out to trace each one with his fingers and she shivered under his touch, earning an amused look from him.

“They’re ancient runes; it’s the ancient language of magic.”

“So each symbol is a representation of something?” He guessed.

“Yes, in order from top to bottom the runes represent strength, friendship, family, magic, earth, wind, water, fire, love and finally, survival. Each one means something to me. Now, shall we get back to my scars before I bottle it?”

“I don’t know what that means, but sure,” he shrugged.

“The three claw-like scars on my shoulder are from a bad-tempered hippogriff, a magical creature that’s half eagle and half horse. The three circular marks close to my waist are from a mermaid.”

“They’re not real,”

“They are,” she promised.

“No, I don’t believe you.”

She snorted at him. “Alright then, but I was sent to liaison with a group of mermaids and it didn’t end well, one of them threw a trident at me and it caught me, luckily it didn’t do any serious damage. This was during my first year on the job, I wasn’t far off twenty in age. The slight indented scar on the small of my back, that one’s from a Hungarian Horntail Dragon.” He scoffed and she rolled her eyes at him. “It was my own fault really. Last year I was visiting Charlie in Romania since I had to carry out an inspection to ensure everything was up to standards on The Reserve. Charlie was tending to a newly hatched dragon and I got a little too close, someone startled it and it lashed out, catching my back with its tail. Charlie spent the entire week I was there apologising,” she shook her head. “I also have a scar on the back of my left calf, and I got it when I was fifteen and it was during the time of the Triwizard Tournament. Seeing as I was used as bait for my then-boyfriend, Viktor, to rescue, I was placed into a magical sleep and held underwater. When Viktor rescued me, he had to fight through a horde of grindylows, which are basically water demons. They have really sharp claws and one latched onto my leg to prevent me from escaping, but Viktor managed to get it off. And as far as I know, that’s the origin story of each scar.”

“Christ, Witch, do you ever rest?” He said.

She snorted at him before lowering herself back onto her stomach and lifting her arms to cushion her head, as she watched him watch her.

“So, what’s yours?” She asked him.

“Hmm?” He hummed in question, his fingers moving down to the small of her back and then up her spine, repeating the process.

She lifted her arm and hooked it over his shoulder so she could tap at his tattoo, alerting him to the subject of her question, before bringing it back to pillow her head.

“The triskelion, the triple spiral,” he spoke. “It’s a pre-Celtic symbol that has different meanings to different people. For my family, it represents the rise and fall within the pack. An Alpha can fall to an Omega, an Omega can rise to a Beta and a Beta can rise to an Alpha. It’s a reminder that you should never abuse your power.”

“That’s actually quite insightful, you can apply that logic to most aspects in life,” she said.

“My mother used it to help ground us and teach us to control ourselves at the full moon. It’s the symbol of my family. If another werewolf pack were to see it they’d know that anyone carrying the symbol on their person or that was marked with it on their body, belonged to The Hale Pack. Before she died, my mother was highly respected within the werewolf community, mainly because of her power and kindness and the ferocity she had when it came to protecting her pack. Because of her, The Hale name holds a lot of weight within the community and it’s not often someone dares to cross us.”

“I get that, I suppose it’s similar to me, only it’s my name. When someone from my world hears my name, they either freeze in fear or they get all star struck. It’s why they let me do what I want as long as I don’t break the law, they’re afraid to anger me.”

He snorted at her. “I can imagine,” he said amused.

“Well, I told you the secrets of my scars, and I’m no longer hiding my true self from you.”

“And?” He prompted, knowing she had more to say.

“And I think that means I deserve you getting me a chocolate milkshake.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And where the hell am I supposed to get a chocolate milkshake at...” He looked over to the alarm clock on the bedside table, “Half eight on a Sunday morning?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “That’s for you to figure out, after all, it’s your super sperm that got me pregnant, so you have to give me everything I want, including chocolate milkshakes at odd times of the day.”

“You think I’m obsessed with your hair, well I think you’re obsessed with my sperm.”

She shrugged once more. “You’re the one that did this to me, so I’m holding you accountable.”

“It takes two to make a baby,” he replied.

“No, it’s definitely your fault,” she said adamantly and he snorted at her.

“Fine, you want a chocolate milkshake? For breakfast?” She nodded instantly. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“And feed the animals, too, would you?”

“What am I, your servant?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Obviously, you knocked me up so you have to run around after me and do everything I tell you to.”

“If you say so, Witch,” he snorted before he threw the covers off himself and stood from the bed, completely naked.

Hermione’s face flamed red and she buried her face in the pillow. “Derek!” She squeaked in embarrassment, her voice muffled. “Put some bloody clothes on!”

His laughter filled her ears and she lifted her head to glare at him, before remembering that he was naked and she buried her face into the pillow once more.

“I don’t remember you being this embarrassed last time,” he said amused.

“Last time I snuck out before you woke,” she replied. “Otherwise, I probably would’ve been.”

“It’s a shame you did,” he told her, leaving out the room –still completely naked- with Crookshanks and Magic following behind him and he chuckled when a pillow hit him in the back.

~000~000~000~

Derek was gone for fifteen minutes and when he returned, he was wearing a pair of underwear and carrying a bowl and spoon in one hand and a bottle of chocolate sauce in the other. Hermione moved to sit back on her bed after shutting the window and putting on her red silk robe, a gift for her twenty-third birthday from Fleur.

He climbed onto the bed beside her and propped himself up against the pillows before presenting her his offerings.

“Vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce is the best I can do,” he told her.

Much to his amusement, a little pout formed on her lips but she still took his offering, setting the bowl in her lap and Derek was sure she’d poured nearly half the bottle of chocolate sauce over her ice-cream before a sigh left her when she placed the first spoonful in her mouth.

He looked away from her and to the bedside table on his side of the bed, noticing the few stacked books and he took the first one from the pile and flipped through the pages curiously. 

A few minutes later he felt her eyes on him and he turned to look at her, seeing her watching him with her head tilted to the side and the spoon still in her mouth.

“What?” He said, cocking his eyebrow at her.

She titled her head to the other side, pulling the spoon from her mouth as it twitched into an innocent smile. If she didn’t have his attention before, she certainly did now. Her eyes slowly traced his form, staring at his face and moving down to his torso and continuing south, pausing at his boxers –much to his amusement- and moving down to his hands holding the book, before they traced his legs which were crossed at the ankles, and she moved her eyes back to his face.

“What?” He repeated.

Much to his surprise she put the bowl and spoon on her bedside table, reached over and took the book from his hands and threw it to the end of the bed, and then she promptly straddled his lap, positioning herself over his groin and trailing her hands up his chest and looping them around his neck.

Again, he raised an eyebrow, an amused smirk pulling at his mouth when she tilted forward and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth, him feeling the coolness of her lips due to the ice-cream she’d been eating. She pulled back and before he could comment, she leaned forward and kissed him again, this time with a fire and heat that came out of nowhere.

His hands came up to smooth over body over her robe before he realised she was still naked underneath and he slipped his hands under her robe, gripped at her hips and pulled her closer to him, a growl rumbling in his throat when she nipped at his lip, soothed it with her tongue and then slipped it through his parted lips, him tasting the ice-cream and chocolate she’d just been eating.

She pulled back from and he watched her with dark eyes as one of her hands moved to smooth over his chest and the other scratched at the back of his neck, just below his hairline, pulling another growl from.

She titled her head to the side, once again, an innocent smile pulling at her mouth. She was up to something, he knew it.

“You know, I just _love_ chocolate,” she said softly. “I’ve had it with every combination under the sun, some disgusting and others delicious and I’d thought I ran out of things to pair it with.” He raised an eyebrow. “But then suddenly inspiration struck, and now I just can’t stop thinking about it.”

She bit her lip and reached over for the bottle of chocolate sauce that she’d left on the bed and he watched her with his dark orbs as she flicked open the lid, squirted a small amount onto finger and then sucked it off, his hands tightening around her hips as she kept her eyes locked with his as she did so.

“I’m very curious,” she told him, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around his neck with the bottle still in her hand. She pressed her mouth against his ear, her breath tickling him as she spoke her next words. “How would it taste if I were to eat off you?”

And as she said those words, she tipped the bottle and the chocolate sauce was poured over his shoulder and neck, the thick, gooey substance trickling down his chest and she latched her mouth onto his skin, licking and sucking.

He had a feeling he was going to love those particular _hormones_.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Page Count:11

The next day flew by for them both, Derek accompanying Hermione and Magic on a hike through the woods and when they returned to the cottage, he kept Magic company while Hermione locked herself away in her library refusing to let Derek see what she was working on until it was completed.

The sun had not long since set and the stars came out for the night, and Hermione’s plans were to have dinner, get changed into her pyjamas and snuggle up in front of the fire with a book, but Derek had other ideas.

“Derek, I don’t want to,” she all but whined as he pulled her through the cottage and to the door by her hands.

“Come on, let’s go,”

“I don’t want to,” she repeated. “I’m hungry and tired, I just want to relax.”

“I promise you’ll change your mind when we get there.” She pouted at him. “Do you trust me?” He asked her.

She sighed. “Yes, I trust you,” she answered honestly and a small smile pulled at his face at her admission.

“Then trust me now, I have something I want to show you, but you’ll need a coat.”

Her eyes searched his hopeful expression before she sighed, giving in. “Fine,” she muttered, pulling her hand from him and turning to go to her bedroom.

After she slipped on a warm woollen cardigan and a jacket over the top, she put on her knee-length boots and returned the living room, where Derek was stood by the door with his hands held behind his back. When she approached he smiled at her and showed her his hands, revealing a blindfold. She eyed him warily.

“You’re definitely not a serial killer?” She questioned.

He snorted at her. “I don’t want you seeing anything until we get there,” he told her. “And so we get there quicker, you can do your teleportation thing to my car.”

“Fine, let’s go,” she sighed.

~000~000~000~

“You better not let me fall over,” Hermione spoke.

After apparating to Derek’s car, he’d quickly tied the blindfold around her eyes and helped her into her seat, buckling her seat belt for her before he started the engine and they were off. After fifteen minutes the car came to a stop, Derek exited and returned a few minutes later and he put something into the boot of the car, before he restarted the engine and continued driving.

After twenty minutes the car came to a stop and despite her constant questions, Derek had been tight-lipped about their intended destination. He helped her out of the car, retrieved something from the boot and with his arm wrapped around her waist, he guided her in her movements.

“I’m not going to let you fall,” he spoke. “We’re almost there.”

“You’ve been saying that for the last ten minutes,” she replied.

“This time I mean it, now watch your step, there’s a bit of a slope coming up.”

She let out a noise of impatience but one hand came up to grip at his hand on her hip and she allowed him to direct her in their steps. She had no idea where they were, if only that they were outside. She could feel the cool evening air on her skin and the ground beneath her feet was uneven.

“We’re here, just give me a minute and don’t move,” he told her, halting her to a stop and she felt him step away from her.

It was a few minutes later when the sound of shuffling and things being moved ended and she felt Derek’s presence once more. He came up behind her, pressing his chest to her back and his arms encircling her, his hands coming to a stop on her stomach.

“Thank you for trusting me,” he said into her ear, his nose moving to nuzzle at her neck. “You can take it off.”

Hermione’s hands lifted to the blindfold where she untied the knot and pulled it away from her eyes. She blinked a few times to clear her vision until a gasp of surprise left her lips and she felt her eyes tearing up at the sight in front of her.

They were standing on the edge of a cliff and before them was one of the most beautiful sights she’d ever seen. The stars were filling the dark, cloudless night sky and shining brightly and the moon was bigger than she’d ever seen. Below them was the view of Beacon Hills in all its glory, thousands of lights glowing in the dark and from so high up, there wasn’t a single sound to be heard, making it as though the entire county was sleeping peacefully. Even her fear of heights couldn’t ruin the beauty in front of her.

“Merlin!” She whispered. “It’s beautiful.”

She felt him smile against the skin of her neck and a pleased hum left him. “I thought you’d like it.”

“I _love_ it, but what are we doing here?” She asked, turning her head to look at him over her shoulder. She felt him shrug and his arms tightened around her as he took a deep inhale of her scent.

“I thought it about time I treated you right.”

She frowned in confusion. “You haven’t done anything wrong, in fact, you’ve actually been amazing, you’re still a pain in the arse, but I can overlook it giving how supportive you’ve been,” she told him and he snorted at her comment before nuzzling at her neck again.

“Look,” he sighed. “I like you,” he admitted. “And not just as a friend, not just as the mother of my baby, but I like you as a person, as a potential partner. And if you’re up for it I want to see how things between us could go. We want the best for the baby and while we don’t necessarily need to be a couple to do that, I’d like for us to try and see if it could work out. Given how we’ve been the last few weeks, I think we actually have a chance.”

She blinked in surprise at his confession and shook her head. “Is this why you’re so protective of me? It’s not just because of the baby?”

“It’s not just the baby I care about,” he muttered into her neck. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, you’re too important to me. And no, I’m not always smelling you because of the baby. It’s because you’re calming, my wolf’s taken a liking to you and I can confidently say he’s _never_ done that before. I imagine you’re the one person I could never hurt, the thought alone is horrifying.”

Her mouth dropped open in surprise and it took her a few attempts to scramble her words together. “So you really want to what...Date?”

“We could give it a go,” he shrugged his shoulders. “If you wanted to, it’s your decision.”

“You really want to be with me?” She questioned.

He heard the confusion in her voice so he pulled back from her and turned her around to face him, seeing the utterly befuddled look on her face.

“Yes, why wouldn’t I?” He questioned.

She frowned. “Because I’m bossy and moody, and boring and inconsiderate and...”

“Alright, I’m stopping you there,” he interrupted. “You’re not moody, you just don’t like to be interrupted when you’re so clearly busy or in the middle of something important. You’re not boring, you’re the most interesting person I’ve met and the only woman I’ve known to actually poke fun at me without fear of upsetting me. You’re very considerate, you check in with me regularly to ensure I have everything I need while being at the cottage with you, you adopted a stray dog and are nursing an injured owl back to health. And bossy, well, you are,” he admitted.

“But it’s a good thing, particularly with me. You don’t let me get away with anything you disagree with and you keep me in line. I don’t know why you think those things about yourself, but you’re wrong,” he said softly and he brought his hands up to cup her face, tilting her head slightly with his eyes boring into hers. “You’re kind and selfless and smart. And you’re beautiful and if I’m being honest, I much prefer this you to the one I met at the bar. You looked stunning that night, but I prefer seeing you with messy hair, mud-covered knees and ink-stained fingers and clothing. Even when you’re devouring chocolate milkshakes as if they’re about to vanish from existence.” He chuckled at her scowl. “You’re an amazing woman, an amazing witch, and I’d be stupid if I let you walk away from me without even trying to convince you to give us a chance.”

She sniffled and her eyes were swimming with unshed tears before she gave a little laugh. “You know, I don’t even know if this is me wanting to cry or if it’s my hormones acting up again.”

He chuckled at her, softly brushing his thumbs over her cheekbones. “Hermione Granger, will you be my girlfriend?”

She bit her lip and his eyes fell to watch the movement before they returned to her eyes.

“Before I can give you my answer, I need something from you.”

“I’ve literally just bared my soul to you,” he spoke. She shrugged her shoulders. “What do you need?”

“For you to stop hiding yourself from me,” she answered and he frowned in confusion. “I haven’t met many supernatural werewolves like yourself, but I’m aware you’re able to change with or without the full moon. You’ve seen all of me, now I need to see you, too. I need you to show me every part of you, like I did for you.” He eyed her cautiously. “You asked me to trust you and now you need to trust me,” she said, knowing why he was so cautious in showing her the other side of him; he didn’t want to scare her away.

He kept his eyes locked on hers as he dropped his hands from her face and he took several steps back from her, putting space between them. She watched him as he closed his eyes, bowed his head and his hands clenched into tight fists as he pulled the other side of him forward.

The seconds ticked by and what felt like hours was barely even a minute, before his head slowly lifted and his eyes immediately locked on hers. She felt her eyes widen at seeing him for who he truly was for the first time, but her heartbeat didn’t increase and adrenaline didn’t fill her because she wasn’t afraid of him, she believed him when he said she was the only person he wouldn’t be able to hurt. 

His sideburns had grown quite a lot of hair, looking as though someone had actually just stuck wigs to his cheeks and she felt a giggle ready to bubble out of her at the thought, but she pushed it down. His face seemed to have become more muscled, his fangs had lengthened and sharpened, his nails had grown into claws and his eyes, Hermione thought she’d never seen a pair more beautiful. They were the brightest blue and she was sure she’d just discovered her new favourite colour.

He was watching her carefully, likely expecting her to turn and apparate away and a snort slipped out and she shook her head.

“Merlin, Derek!” She whispered. He looked down in shame. “You really need a shave.”

His head snapped up, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in complete disbelief, and she couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled out of her. He stared at her, rooted to the spot as she shook with her laughter and she reached up to wipe a fallen tear from her eye before calming herself down.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist,” she chuckled. “You’re not nearly as frightening as you think you are,” she told him, slowly making her way over to him until she stopped right in front of him, tilting her head up so she could look into his eyes. ”I’ve faced things far more frightening than you, you know? I did fight in a war with giant, man-eating spiders, remember?” She chuckled at his gobsmacked expression.

She reached out for his hand, gently lifting it up to her line of sight and she tilted her head this way and that as she stared at each claw individually. With the other hand, she pressed the pad of her index finger to the tip of one of his claws and pulled it back to see the smallest blood drop seeping through.

“Well that answers my question,” she mused to herself, sucking her finger into her mouth until it stopped bleeding, and she splayed her hand against his, pressing their palms together. His eyes moved from her face to their hands, seeing the size difference between them.

She then lifted the thumb of her other hand and gently pressed the pad of it to one of his fangs, pulling it back to see there was no blood, just a slight indentation.

“And that question’s been answered, too,” she spoke. “I wonder...If I were to give you a shave, would the hair grow back?”

He blinked dumbly at her question and she giggled at his reaction before he shook his head. “You really don’t fear me?” He frowned.

“I really don’t fear you, you’d be able to tell by my heart rate, which hasn’t slowed, increased or skipped a single beat. As I said, I’ve faced far scarier things than you; remind me to show you a magical werewolf, now they _are_ frightening. In fact, you’re like a cuddly teddy bear. And you didn’t answer my question, would your hair grow back if I shaved you?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never thought to try,” he replied, his eyes trailing her face and watching her as though she was an angel that had been sent to earth specifically for him.

“We’ll have to experiment,” she nodded to herself. “My forte’s magical creatures and not the supernatural, so it’ll be exciting to see what I can learn.”

“You could just ask me, you know?”

“I could, but where’s the fun in that? I’m going to enjoy poking and prodding at you,” she grinned.

“So I’m just some experiment to you?” He asked, but he actually sounded amused rather than hurt.

“Of course,” she said, looking at him as though he were an idiot. “And I’ve already got a lab at home, Merlin, this is going to be _so_ much fun,” her grin widened. “Tell me, do you prefer chains or ropes as a measure of restraint?”

“My God,” he chuckled in surprise at her question, shaking his head at her.

“What? Who said I was asking for experimental purposes and not for a more pleasurable reason?” She said. His mouth dropped opened and he spluttered in surprise, unable to find the words to reply. “I admit, now I can’t get the imagery out of my head and I can’t help but wonder if you’ll enjoy it as much as you did with the chocolate sauce yesterday.”

He gaped at her and she decided to take pity on him, stopping in her teasing, at least for now. She stepped closer to him so their chests were almost touching and his eyes locked onto hers as she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and she rose onto her tiptoes. Her eyes fluttered closed and she closed the distance between them, pressing a soft, chaste kiss to his mouth.

When she pulled back from him it was to see his fangs retreating, his facial structure returning to normal and the hair disappearing from his face. He was smiling down at her softly, still with his blue eyes watching her and one hand slipped around her waist and the other came up to cup her cheek, noting from the corner of her eye that his claws had retreated, too.

“I love your eyes,” she told him with a sigh. “But I’ve got to say, Hale, I’m not impressed.” He raised an eyebrow in question and she brought one hand down to his face to trail her fingers over his jaw. “After seeing your wolf side I’m afraid I have to tell you, if you’re trying to grow a beard you’re doing a rubbish job of it.”

A snort of amusement left him and his hand slipped from her face and to the back of her neck. “I’ve honestly never met a woman like you before. You’re one of a kind,” he told her.

She shrugged her shoulders. “I think other women are a lot smarter than I am, I don’t bother trying to hide how strange I am, and as a result, I always seem to attract the weirdos. You’re proof of that.”

“Thanks,” he scoffed and she smiled in response. “You know, you haven’t answered my question yet, though after that comment I’m thinking about retracting it,” he spoke.

Her mouth twitched and she smacked at his arm before she brought her mouth closer to his, her lips brushing his as she spoke. “I suppose I didn’t. So, yes, Derek Hale, I’ll be your girlfriend and we’ll see if we can maintain a relationship without screwing up our baby.”

Even as the tension seemed to leave his body a snort of amusement left him, and as he kissed her, he had a smile on his face, something she didn’t see often. She pulled back from him when her stomach gave a loud rumble and she gave him a sheepish look. 

“I suppose I better feed you,” he said amused, his blue eyes returning to dark brown.

He took her hand in his and pulled her off to the side where he’d set up a blanket and a series of small dishes on plates, as well as there being a chocolate milkshake which had probably melted by that point.

“I know how indecisive you are when it comes to food, so I got a bit of everything,” he told her when he saw her wide-eyed expression.

“Where’d you get all this?”

“The owner of Howard’s Diner owed me a favour and I called it in. As I said, it’s about time I started treating you right, and given that I knocked you up before taking you on an actual date, I thought I’d rectify that. This is our official first date.”

“And how do you plan to top this?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I’ll think of something,” he shrugged.

The both took seats on the blanket and as they ate their food they chatted casually until they’d had their fill and Derek packed it all away, and then he pulled Hermione to sit between his legs, her back to his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose against her neck as she looked out at the view of Beacon Hills.

“You know, this has got to be the best date I’ve been on,” she commented.

“Really, a picnic and a bit of star gazing?” He asked sceptically.

“Hmm,” she hummed. “I’m not a materialistic person and I prefer the simpler things in life. I’ll take a picnic in the woods over a fancy restaurant any day of the week. But my ex-boyfriend, our first date was him taking me to a pub and it wasn’t too bad, until his friends showed up and it turned out he’d been the one to invite them,” she sighed.

“Are you ever going to tell me about him? I know you said you were together for five years, there’s got to be a reason you broke up with him after being together for so long.”

“I’m not ready to open that can of worms just yet, but when I am I’ll tell you, and I hope you’ll do the same.”

“Meaning?”

“I’m not stupid, Derek. When I heard James mention the name Paige and I saw your reaction of wanting to keep it from me, it wasn’t hard to put the pieces together and understand she’s likely an ex-girlfriend of yours and I’m guessing someone you really cared for, too.”

“You really are smart,” he muttered.

She shrugged. “It’s your choice if you wish to tell me or not, I’m not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to.”

They fell silent for a short while with Hermione looking out at the view and Derek nuzzling at her neck before he spoke.

“I have something for you.” He removed one arm from being wrapped around her to dig into his pocket before he held something out to her.

She took it from him, lifting it to her line of sight to better see it in the darkness. It looked to be a metal disk with the imprint of a triskelion on it, the same one she knew to be tattooed in between Derek’s shoulder blades. The metal disk was tied to a leather cord, leading her to believe it was to be worn as a necklace.

“The marking of your pack,” she said.

“Yes, I want you to wear it all times, never take it off. There’s always werewolves passing through Beacon Hills and if they see you with the mark of The Hale Pack, they won’t come anywhere near you. I want you safe and it’ll give you protection. We’re a pack, you, me and the baby; I just want to protect you.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a pack,” she told him.

“Are you ever going to tell me how you became part of a pack? It’s not a common occurrence for humans to be part of a wolf pack unless they’re related by blood but don’t possess the lycanthropic gene.”

“I suppose there’s no harm in telling you,” she mused, and he smiled when she slipped the leather cord over her neck and tucked the disc under the collar of her t-shirt. “My Alpha’s name was Remus Lupin and he was one of the kindest, smartest people I’d ever met. His father was a known hater of werewolves and he campaigned for each one of them to be rounded up and killed. Fenrir Greyback was an Alpha werewolf and he was a literal monster. He killed and raped and mauled and ate his victims whether he was a human or a wolf.”

His arms tightened around her and a noise of disgust left him.

“He’s the reason all werewolves suffered. Wizarding folk allowed the actions of one to speak for all werewolves, but not all of them were evil. Anyway, as revenge against Remus’ father, Fenrir Greyback broke into their house and bit Remus on the night of the full moon; he was only four years old. He suffered for three decades and during the time of the first war, his best friends, his pack, was taken away from him. I didn’t actually meet Remus until I was thirteen, and he was the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, I believe he was thirty-six at the time. Within two months I’d figured out his secret and once I did, I made sure no one else did and I sent him anonymous gift baskets to help him through the full moon.”

He shook his head; that sounded exactly like something she’d do.

“By the time the end of the school year neared, there was the incident in which Remus changed during the full moon and he came after my friends and I, we managed to escape but not before he accidentally caught me with his claws.”

She brought her hand up to the back of her neck, despite him knowing there was nothing there.

“As we were forced to go back in time...”

“Which I still don’t believe is possible,” he interrupted.

“I called out to Remus,” she continued as if he hadn’t interrupted. “A werewolf will always answer a call from its own kind, and that should’ve been my first clue that something about me was different. I was human, yet he answered and tried to find me. The next day he was horrified by what’d happened and he wouldn’t speak to me. We met again a year later and I finally corned him and forced him to have a sit down with me. I explained that I’d been experiencing some strange urges and feelings and I thought he was going to faint.”

She lifted her right leg and bent it so her ankle was resting against her left knee, and she pulled the leg of her jeans up to show him the inner side of her ankle. She pulled her wand and tapped it to her ankle, a slight shimmer happening before a faded marking of a crescent moon and a paw print appeared just above her ankle, but it was so faded it was barely visible.

“This is the marking of Remus’ pack, and his friend Sirius had one, too, which is how we knew I was a member of his pack and I had been since the full moon incident; when he scratched me he marked me as belonging to the pack. Remus had always been kind to me, but when we discovered the news and we knew there was nothing we could do about it, Remus became very protective of me, like a father, actually. Although he wasn’t marked, Harry being the Godson of Sirius made him pack, and through me and Harry, Ron was made part of the pack, too, despite him also not being marked. That year Sirius died at the Department of Mysteries and Remus was a mess, not only had his best friend, his brother and pack mate died, but he’d almost lost me, too. When Remus married Tonks, she was marked and then she fell pregnant with Teddy and he was born and marked as pack. But when Remus died the pack bond was severed and I was the only one that could feel it. Tonks was dead, Teddy only a newborn and Harry and Ron hadn’t been marked. I felt as though someone had ripped out my heart and then put it back in my chest, only there were pieces missing.”

“After the war I barely slept, I barely ate, I barely spoke and people just assumed I was grieving like everyone else was. They were grieving the loss of family members and friends and peers, but I was grieving the loss of my pack.” She reached up to her face when she felt something run down her cheeks, only to find herself crying and she wiped away her tears. “Andromeda is Tonks’ mother and Teddy’s Grandmother and while she had custody of him and Harry was made Teddy’s Godfather, it’s a little known fact that through the bond I was Teddy’s family, his sister, his Aunt, his Godmother, but she knew and she understood, and because of that she let me stay with her for a few months. I needed to be with Teddy, to heal, and make sure he was safe and protected from anyone seeking revenge. And I swear, I love that little boy more than magic itself and should anyone ever try to harm a hair on his head, there won’t be a body left to find.”

He gave her a squeeze and he pressed a kiss to her neck, comforting her. “You miss him, don’t you?”

She nodded. “More than you know. He’s all I have left of Remus, of my old pack. I made it a point to visit him at least once a week no matter how busy I was or if I was out of the country on a mission. He’s too young to understand why I’m not around anymore, all he knows is that his Aunt ‘Mione had to go away,” she spoke, wiping away another fallen tear.

“Anyway, it’s why I got the job I did, protecting magical creatures and supernatural beings. I know what it’s like to be different and to be hated for something you can’t control, and they shouldn’t have to suffer because people are too stupid to learn from their mistakes or to show kindness. And now, I’ve helped to ensure werewolves have better, safer lives. They now have the right to own their own property and to get married and receive medical treatment, to have bank accounts and find employment. I just wish Remus were here to see it,” she said quietly.

“I’m sure he knows and that he’s proud of you,” he said softly.

She sniffled and wiped at her face. “It’s possible, the after life’s real.”

“I don’t believe you.”

She gave a snort-sniffle and shook her head. “That might be why I was drawn to you specifically at the bar. In the back of my mind, I knew there was something there and when I caught you watching me, I sensed that your aura was different but it wasn’t until we parted ways that I understood you were a werewolf. I’ve always felt like there’s a part of me missing, I’ve always felt lost and lonely, no matter how many people there were around me, but since meeting you, I don’t feel that anymore, and it’s because I’ve found my pack,” she said, her hand coming up to grip at her new necklace over her t-shirt.

He held her against him impossibly tight but she didn’t complain at the slight pain of it and she melted into him when he placed another kiss to her neck.

“I won’t let anything happen to you. I won’t let anyone take you away from me.”

“I believe you,” she sighed, turning her head so she could nuzzle at his throat with her nose and a purr erupted from him, making her giggle. “You know, you’re a lot cuddlier than I thought you’d be,” she commented.

“I’m not cuddly,” he denied, but even as he said this he tightened his grip on her and nuzzled at her neck.

“You’re a rubbish liar,” she snorted. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

“And that is?”

“I’m going back to England.” She felt his entire body stiffen and he stilled in his nuzzling at her neck. She sat herself up and turned to look at him over her shoulder, seeing his face being a blank canvas, no emotion showing. “For a visit,” she added, and he visibly relaxed. “When I reach the four month mark of my pregnancy it’s too dangerous for me to apparate or port key, and it’s too much hassle to get an international floo license, and when I reach that point I’ll be grounded and I won’t be able to visit. I could always take a plane but I hate flying. I need to tell Harry about the pregnancy and be careful about it, too. I don’t want the wrong people finding out about it or it’ll be splashed across the papers of Wizarding Europe for everyone to see and I don’t have the energy to deal with the mail I’ll receive when that happens. And I need to see Teddy, too.”

He looked conflicted, obviously not wanting her to be so far away from him but also knowing she needed to see those she left behind.

“How long will you be gone? When do you plan to leave? Where will you stay?” He asked.

“I only plan on being gone five days, a week at most. I sold my flat in London and usually, I would’ve stayed with Harry, but his wife’s my ex-boyfriend’s sister and she hates me for breaking up with him, so I’ll stay with Andromeda and Teddy. Merlin knows that woman can do with a break from Teddy. And I was thinking about leaving on Wednesday.”

“Not Wednesday,” he shook his head.

“Why not?”

“It’s the full moon,” he answered and she frowned, having forgotten. “My wolf’s already telling me to lock you up to stop you from leaving, but there’s no chance I can let you be in another country, another continent at that, during the full moon. I’ve usually got good control over myself but if you were to leave that would change. I need to know where you are and that you’re safe.”

“I understand that,” she nodded. “And I don’t want to do anything that’ll make you uncomfortable or upset the wolf. So I’ll go Thursday instead?”

“You might have to sneak out or my wolf will have me locking you in while you’re sleeping.”

She snorted at him. “As you could take me,” she said, pushing a stray curl from her face.

“Probably not,” he agreed, before pulling her back against him, wrapping her up in his arms and staring out at Beacon Hills.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count:10

Wednesday soon arrived and with it came the full moon. The weather that day had been bad with a rainstorm so she and Derek were confined to the cottage, and Hermione had been very surprised with Derek’s behaviour.

She knew how agitated and easy to provoke magical werewolves were on the day of the full moon. She knew their behaviour changed and that their senses became more sensitive and they tended to eat their meats raw and they were either really energetic or really lethargic, but nothing had prepared her for Derek’s reaction.

He was fine, _completely_ fine, as if it were just another day. She’d never seen someone so calm and she’d spent the majority of the day just watching him, amazed by the control he had over himself. He wasn’t moody, he wasn’t tired or full of energy, his appetite didn’t increase _and_ he’d pulled a face when she’d had her bacon a little undercooked that morning for breakfast. She’d never seen anything like it.

In fact, she was the moody one! She’d been easy to agitate that day, she’d snapped at Derek a few times for something as stupid as his turning of the pages in his book being too loud or the sound his fork had made on the plate when he was eating lunch. She’d even thumped him on the arm when he’d tried to kiss her and the smell of his minty toothpaste had invaded her nose. And bless the werewolf, he never once took it to heart. He wasn’t frightened of her, or annoyed by her constant mutters and growls of irritation, or when she threw cushions at him. In fact, it was the exact opposite. He seemed to be enjoying himself!

“Don’t even think about it,” Hermione said, her eyes narrowed dangerously on him and she held her box of chocolates to her chest protectively when he reached out to pluck one from the tray.

Amusement flittered through his eyes and he sat back, holding his hands up in surrender. She watched him carefully as she popped another chocolate into her mouth and he chuckled at her. She huffed at him, picked up the cushion from beside her and she whacked him with it before settling it on her knee.

His mouth twitched at the corners and he shifted on the couch until his body was twisted and his back was pressed up against the armrest so he could better face her, while she sat at the other end of the couch, her legs pulled up and tucked beneath her, a cushion in her lap and her box of chocolates sat on top of it.

“I don’t understand it, why the hell am I more affected than you are? I’m not even a bloody werewolf!”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I was born a werewolf; I learned to control myself from a young age. I can still feel the pull of the moon and I’ve still got my instincts and urges, I just know how to contain them.”

“But you’re not even the slightest bit moody like I thought you’d be. I’ve never seen you so calm, and that’s only annoying me further,” she scowled and popped another chocolate into her mouth. He snorted at her. “I mean, I’ve always been a bit moodier around the full moon, but I’ve never been this bad before. Do you think it’s the baby? Is it possible that I’m affected in such a way because it’s using me as an outlet?”

“I honestly don’t know,” he answered.

“Oh, fat lot of good you are,” she grouched, before lifting her box of chocolates, picking up the cushion from her lap and whacking him with it again, before returning it to her lap. He smirked at her. “You’re supposed to have the knowledge I don’t, my expertise is magical creatures, not the supernatural, that’s where you come in, to know the things I don’t.”

“I’m just as in the dark as you are,” he told her. “Sorry to say I’ve never gotten another woman pregnant, and I’ve never witnessed a pregnancy with either the parent or child being a werewolf. When my mom was pregnant with Cora I was three years old, I was too young to understand what was happening or to remember anything from that time. We’re both figuring this out together, and we’ll know for next time.”

“ _Next time_?!" She shrieked. "We’ve only officially been together a couple of days and you’re already thinking about putting another baby in me, despite this one not even being born yet?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Wolf thing,” he said, as if that explained everything.

“Of course it is,” she muttered. “Who’s to even say we’ll still be together that far down the line, and that I’ll let you impregnate me again with your super sperm?”

He snorted at her. “I can be very convincing.”

“If you say so,” she rolled her eyes, looking down to choose a chocolate and frowning when she saw the box was empty.

“That was the last of them,” Derek spoke. “You’ve eaten all three boxes.”

“You’ll have to go out and get me some then,” she told him.

“Sorry, Witch, but I’m not going out in that,” he replied, lifting his hand and gesturing towards the window with his thumb where the rain was pelting against the windows. “But I’ll see what I can find as a substitute,” he spoke, standing from the couch and going into the kitchen, Magic jumping up from in front of the fireplace and bounding after him. “You’re not getting another treat, you’ll get fat,” she heard Derek say to her large puppy.

It wasn’t long later when Derek came back into the room and he handed her a mug. She peered over the edge to see marshmallows and whipped cream.

“Hot chocolate?” She questioned.

“Best I can do,” he shrugged, taking a sip from the can of soda in his hand.

“What’s the plan for tonight? As you said, you’re not going outside,” she said.

He shrugged his shoulders. “Just staying here but I want you to lock yourself in your room and use magic, too.”

“Why?” She frowned, “I know you won’t hurt me.”

“Not intentionally, but while I can force myself not to change it’s going to be harder to control myself than usual because of you and the baby. My wolf’s going to want to be with you and when he catches scent of you and the pup in your belly, his primal instincts will be to rut you and if I give in and let him do that, he’s more than likely to rough you up a bit and we risk harming the baby, too. If we deny him access to you but we ensure that he knows you’re nearby and safe, he’ll hopefully be settled enough that it’ll be an easy night. I won’t sleep too much tonight so I’ll sleep late tomorrow.”

“I’m heading to the Ministry for nine o’clock, London’s eight hours ahead of us.”

“Once you lock yourself in your room I won’t see you for a week,” he said.

She nodded with a slight frown. “I suppose I’ll have to stop whacking you with the cushions then.” He snorted at her. “You’re sure you don’t mind watching the animals for me?”

“I live here now, who else is going to do it? No, I don’t mind. But if your cat bites me...”

“Bite him back,” she interrupted. “At least then he’ll know not to mess with you,” she shrugged. He shook his head at her. “You know, I’m in the mood for pizza, oh, and mash potato, too.”

“Unless you have frozen pizzas in the freezer, you’re not getting it. No one will deliver here, they won’t even know the address, and I’m not going out in this weather.”

“Well you better hope we do, otherwise you _are_ going out there to get me what I want.”

~000~000~000~

The next morning brought clear skies and rays of sunshine as Hermione double-checked that she had everything she needed for her trip to Britain. After she slipped on her coat, grabbed her luggage and put it into her pocket, she dismantled the wards on her room and she stepped through the door, stopping in the hallway at the sight that met her.

Derek was half-naked and asleep, slumped against the wall. Her eyes searched him for injuries but she couldn’t see any, and she couldn’t see any damage to the walls or her door, so maybe he really did have control over himself when it came to the full moon.

Shaking her head she gently levitated him from the ground and settled him down on to her bed, all without a single noise or twitch from him. She covered him with the blanket and then placed a kiss to his cheek before leaving the room and making her way through the cottage, her eyes surveying the damage done, but there was none.

The only room which seemed to have had activity the night before was the living room, but it looked as though Derek had struggled to get comfortable with the cushions either being on the floor, by the fireplace or on the couch, rather than it being done in a fit of rage. With a flick of her wand, she had the minimal mess cleaned up and she prepared herself a quick breakfast, making sure to leave Derek’s breakfast on the side and with the appropriate Stasis Charms over it.

After finishing her meal, she fed the animals, said a quick goodbye to Snowball and Magic, and then she left the cottage, apparated to The American Ministry to pick up her approved port key and she returned to England.

~000~000~000~

She landed smoothly on her feet but was hit by a wave of dizziness and she had to steady herself on a nearby tree. When the dizziness faded her eyes searched her surroundings before a smile pulled at her face when a familiar cottage came into view and she made her way over to it, feeling the wards accepting her as she crossed the grounding point.

By the time she neared the cottage the front door opened, the owner of the property having been alerted to her presence.

“Hermione?”

“Andy,” Hermione beamed, before quickening her steps and she all but threw herself at the older woman when she was in reach, her arms wrapping around her tightly and she felt tears spring to her eyes; she’d really missed Andy.

“What are you doing here, Dear? Not that I’m not happy to see you, of course, we’ve missed you,” Andromeda said, pulling back from Hermione to give her a kind smile.

“I’ve missed you, too. I’m back for a visit, this is the only chance I have as soon I’ll be confined to the States,” Hermione answered. Andromeda rose an eyebrow but looked as if she were about to say more until Hermione heard an excited squeal.

“AUNT ‘MIONE!”

A wide smile appeared on Hermione’s face, she was positively glowing and Andromeda chuckled and stepped aside to let Hermione into the cottage.

The moment she walked through the door she was tackled by an over-excited five-year-old wizard that wrapped himself around her tightly.

“I missed you,” he said.

“I’ve missed you, too, Teddy Bear,” she said and he beamed at her. She’d been calling him that since she’d learned his name from Remus before his death.

“Teddy, let’s let your Aunt get settled in shall we? I assume you wish to stay with us?”

“If you wouldn’t mind,” Hermione replied, prying Teddy off her so she could pick up the small child and settle him on her hip.

“Of course not, Dear, you’re always welcome here, you know that. Your room is how you left it. We’re about to sit for dinner, would you like to join us?” Andromeda said as they walked through the cottage together and towards Hermione’s old room.

Hermione smiled. “I’ve not long since had breakfast, but I’ll still sit with you.”

“How long do you plan on staying?”

“Possibly a week, but then I must get back.”

Andromeda nodded. “How’s your new job?”

“Surprisingly quiet,” she answered. “In the time I’ve been in Beacon Hills I’ve only dealt with a vampire and one hunter, but I’m not complaining, despite there having been a few rainstorms, the weather’s far better than it is here.”

Andromeda chuckled at her. “Well, we’ll let you settle in and we’ll see you in the kitchen,” she said, taking Teddy’s hand once Hermione put him down and leading him back to the kitchen.

Hermione stepped into the room, seeing the beige carpet and cream coloured walls, the large bed and minimal furniture, and a smile pulled at her mouth.

~000~000~000~

Five days had passed since Hermione had returned to Britain and those five days had gone far too quickly for her liking. She didn’t want anyone knowing she was back in Britain and so she’d spent her days with Andromeda and Teddy on their private patch of land.

Andromeda had even gone out for the day for some time alone whilst Hermione and Teddy played in the fields all day, trying to catch butterflies and looking for grasshoppers and worms, and building little dens and digging hiding holes for wild rabbits and hedgehogs. Andromeda had returned to a very filthy Hermione and Teddy, both of them being covered in mud and grass stains, and after laughing at them both and snapping a quick photograph on her camera –as she was unable to resist documenting the sight- she’d sent them both to get cleaned up while she prepared dinner.

Hermione’s time with them had been peaceful and happy, but she knew she’d returned for a reason and she had every intention of letting Harry know about her pregnancy, after all, it was something she couldn’t keep from him. The morning after she arrived she’d owled Harry letting her know she was visiting and asked if they could arrange a time and place to meet and catch up. She’d only been gone a few weeks but it felt much longer.

He’d owled back saying that he was happy she was visiting but that the time and place she suggested wasn’t good for him. She’d understood, after all, she’d come back without any warning and she knew Harry’s work-life kept him busy. Every night and morning since, she’d owled him and each time he’d sent a reply stating that he was too busy, and by this point, five days later, she got the feeling he didn’t want to see her and she didn’t know why.

It was now two in the afternoon and Hermione was sat on the porch steps, looking out at the cloudy sky as she smoothed a hand over her swelling stomach. Hermione was almost thirteen weeks pregnant now, and her baby bump had sprouted from out of nowhere. When she left Beacon Hills she’d had the smallest bump possible and you could barely tell it was there, even when touching it, but five days later it’d grown massively, she’d even had to alter the size of her jeans so she could fit into them.

She was sure Andromeda had noticed something different about her. She’d commented on her happiness and the glow that seemed to surround her, she’d been suspicious when Hermione had pulled a face at the sight of the salmon on her plate –after remembering the incident with the fish tacos- despite salmon being one of her favourite dishes. She’d been excusing herself to use the bathroom more often than usual, she’d turned down elf wine in favour of pumpkin juice and her mood seemed to be either sullen or happy. Andromeda was a smart woman and after having a child herself, Hermione was sure she already suspected but didn’t wish to overstep by asking her about it.

Hermione shook her head and let out a sigh, tipping her head to rest against the porch railing beside her and she pulled her robes around her tighter in the cold of the outdoors.

“What are you doing out here, you’ll freeze?”

Hermione turned to look over her shoulder, seeing Andromeda stepping out of the cottage and slowly making her way over to her, her long black hair greying and pulled back into a tight bun, her dark eyes surrounded by darker lashes and her pale skin contrasting against the black robes she wore.

“Just thinking,” Hermione replied, turning back to look up at the greying sky when Andromeda perched herself beside her on the steps.

“Dear, there’s something I wish to speak to you about.” She said and Hermione turned her head to look at the older woman she thought of as her own Grandmother. “And if you feel as though I’m prying into something you don’t wish me to, please tell me. And you know I would never judge you, Dear, but there are some things I’ve noticed since your return...”

“I’m going to save you the time of asking,” Hermione interrupted. “Yes, I know you’ve noticed the changes in me and yes, your assumptions are correct. I’m pregnant. I’m thirteen weeks along,” Hermione said, her hand coming up to press against her stomach before dropping again.

Andromeda’s eyes both widened and softened. “I know there are many in this world that will judge you for your circumstances, but you know I am not one of them. So, please, tell me everything, and I will listen.”

~000~000~000~

“Merlin, that is quite a tale,” Andromeda spoke softly and Hermione nodded.

“Yes, I Imagine Tonks and Sirius are having a field day with this one, while Remus is shaking his head and sighing,” Hermione said and Andromeda chuckled at her.

“I believe you are right, My Dear. And this supernatural werewolf, Derek, he is kind to you?” She asked, a protective look flittering through her eyes and Hermione’s mouth twitched at the sight.

“He is, he’s very kind to me. I mean, he’s a pain in the arse with how protective he is of me and he keeps following me around and nuzzling at my neck, but I’ve never been treated as he treats me, even before we began dating,” she replied. Andromeda smiled softly. “He wants for us to both try and work together to see if we can make a relationship work between us and honestly, I hope it does. I really like him, and he’s already the father of my baby. He’s given me a pack again.”

Andromeda reached out to place her hand over Hermione’s when she heard her sad tone, being reminded of her previous pack and her losing them.

“We were both lost and without a pack, until we met each other. As much as I tease him about getting me pregnant from a one night stand, this baby’s a miracle. I didn’t know what I needed until I discovered I was pregnant and now my life’s changed but I know it’s for the better. I don’t know how but I know my future’s with Derek and our baby. Regardless of the fact I haven’t known him long, I feel I know him better than anyone I’ve ever met and he’s so kind to me, so understanding. It was the full moon last week and he was the calm one and I was the moody one. It was so bad I kept throwing cushions at him and he just laughed.” Andromeda chuckled at her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I’ve got a family, a pack, and I know Derek won’t let anything happen to us. I know he’ll protect us,” she said, bringing her other hand up to grip at the necklace he’d given her.

“I’m happy for you, Dear. I haven’t seen you this happy in years,” Andromeda said. Hermione gave her a teary smile and moved to rest her head against the older woman’s shoulder. “So this is why you came back?”

Hermione nodded. “Once I reach my fourth month I won’t be able to visit, and not only did I want to see you and Teddy, I need to tell Harry. I feel bad keeping it from him. I’ve been trying to set up a meeting with him since I got here, but I think he’s making excuses so he doesn’t have to see me. He hasn’t sent me a single owl since I moved to America.”

Andromeda pursed her lips and frowned slightly. “Maybe you should go to his office and surprise him, then he’ll have no choice but to see you. I know he hasn’t been to see Teddy for a couple of weeks.”

“Really?” Hermione frowned. Andromeda nodded. “Maybe he _is_ busy,” she said.

“There’s only one way to find out,” she said.

~000~000~000~

Hermione smoothed down her robes, pushed her hair back from her face and raised her hand to knock on the office door of one, Harry Potter.

She waited in silence before a call was heard from inside a few moments later and Hermione opened the door, stepped inside and put up a Silencing Charm so no one would be able to eavesdrop. It had taken some effort to sneak into the Ministry and to Harry’s door without being seen and she certainly didn’t want anyone learning about her pregnancy.

Hermione walked over to Harry’s desk and she took the chair opposite him, but he hadn’t noticed her as he had his head bent over his desk, his eyes scanning the papers in front of him. She cleared her throat and he looked up with a smile on his face before it dropped when he saw it was her.

“Hermione?” He said in disbelief. “What are you doing here?” He blinked dumbly, pushing his glasses further up his nose.

“Well, you seemed to find it hard to fit me into your schedule so I thought I’d come to you. Have you been avoiding me?”

“No, I’m just very busy,” he denied.

Hermione raised an eyebrow and pointedly looked around his surprisingly tidy office, with not a single case file in sight. “Really, then why don’t you have any reports or case files and why are you reading _The Prophet_ instead of working?”

He sighed and sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his shoulders in a defensive movement.

“If you didn’t want to see me all you had to do was tell me the truth, Harry. You didn’t have a problem with me before I took up my new post and moved to America, so what’s happened in the few weeks that I’ve been gone to suddenly make me a pariah? It’s Ron, isn’t it? What lies has he told you about me?”

“He hasn’t said anything,” he denied.

“No? Ginny then? That wife of yours has never liked me and the moment Ron and I broke up she was only too happy to jump on the ‘I hate Hermione’ bandwagon.”

“That’s not true,” he frowned.

“If I remember correctly, she thought we were having an affair because we were put on a case together that required us to work long hours and travel to Russia. You and I both know she used to spread rumours around Hogwarts about how I really got my good grades, and she made me wear that hideous gown at your wedding just to embarrass me. Face it, Harry, she hates me. You know it and I know it. She’s never thought I was good enough for that idiot brother of hers.”

“He’s not an idiot.”

“No, he’s worse, much worse.” Hermione crossed her own arms and steeled herself. “If you knew half of the things he did to me you wouldn’t think he was such a great guy.”

“He never did anything hurt you,” he frowned.

“Physically, no, but psychologically and emotionally is another story entirely. Anyway, I don’t care. I came back because I had some news I wanted to share with you and I couldn’t hide it from you any longer.”

“Go on then,” he said, waving his hand as a gesture for her to get on with it.

“I’m pregnant.” Harry’s eyes widened and he spluttered in surprise. “I found out a few weeks before moving to America. I met the father when I went to have my final meeting with the RCMC Department Head. When I officially moved, I was able to track him down and it turns out he actually lives in the town I moved to. After revealing the news to him, he moved in with me so he could make sure both me and the baby were safe, and now we’re together.”

“How could you be so stupid, Hermione!” Harry raged, standing up from his chair and slamming his hands against his desk, leaning over it to look down at her.

Hermione never even flinched, she’d seen it coming.

“I’m not stupid, Harry, who here has twelve NEWTs at O Level?” She snarked with her eyes narrowed into slits. “Not only was I on the Contraception Potion, but we used condoms, too, and somehow I still ended up pregnant. He’s not a muggle exactly, he’s a supernatural being and I’m not going to tell which one or his name, because I don’t trust you to keep that information from Ginny and she’ll gladly tell it to Ron.”

“Hermione, it’s wrong!” He spluttered.

Hermione glared at him furiously and her hands moved to her stomach protectively. “No, it’s not. Don’t forget you’ve got muggle lineage in your blood, you were raised a muggle as was I before we discovered who we truly were. You and I both know the Wizarding World is outdated in its traditions and beliefs, especially when it comes to sex before marriage and if you want to argue that case, then you and Ginny are both guilty of that, as are most couples these days. And there’s nothing wrong with having a child out of wedlock in the Muggle World, so don’t you dare say there is. And if you ever refer to my baby as if it’s an abomination, The Chosen One and Saviour or not, I’ll make it so you never have little Potters running around,” she growled at him, an actual wolf-like growl and he flinched back in surprise.

“I was struggling after the breakup and I just wanted to feel beautiful and desired, and I just wanted to forget for a little while. When I met the baby’s father, he did all of that and since he came back into my life, these last few weeks I’ve never felt happier. He’s very protective of me and I know he won’t let anyone hurt us. I actually like him, Harry. He treats me far better than Ronald ever did.”

“Ron was good to you, Hermione, you know he was,” Harry argued.

“Do I? When was he good to me, Harry? Tell me. Every memory I have of him is negative. He psychologically and emotionally abused me for years, even when we were children in school and you can’t say you don’t remember because you do. You saw the way he treated me, the things he said. You know he cheated on me during our first year together, but I forgave him and I took him back. You know he wanted me to give up my career and be a baby-making machine for him, popping out a baby as soon as possible so he could get me pregnant again. I didn’t want that, I couldn’t be Molly.”

“No, but you’re perfectly happy to get knocked up by a stranger,” he snarked.

Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself, feeling her magic beginning to become unsettled.

“Do you want to know the real reason I broke up with Ron?” She spoke, her voice cold and her eyes the same. “It’s because he broke my trust. He wanted children and I wasn’t ready to have them. He tried to take that choice away from me. I caught him, you know? I caught him spiking my Contraception Potions so they would fail and I would get pregnant, but I never did and it turns out he’d been doing it for almost a year. You’re an Auror, Harry, you should know that what he’d done was a crime, I believe it comes under sexual offences.”

She stood up from her chair and wrapped her robes around herself tightly, as if protecting her baby from him. “I should’ve known you’d take his side, you always do. And because of it, you’ve lost my friendship. I don’t need it anymore. And if I find out you’ve told anyone about my pregnancy, especially Ron or Ginny, I’ll make sure Ginny knows exactly what happened between us when we were alone in the tent all those years ago.”

Harry’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.

“It was nice knowing you, but now I’ve got to get home to my _boyfriend_.”

She turned and left the room, slamming the door shut on the way out and storming down the corridors, no longer caring if someone saw her.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 8

After Hermione had left The Ministry she returned to Andromeda’s and immediately packed up her things, and after saying goodbye to a surprised Andromeda and a disappointed Teddy, she left the cottage and activated the port key earlier than she planned, just wanting to get home.

She’d arrived at The American Ministry, signed the appropriate paperwork and then apparated to her cottage. As she stepped inside there were no lights on and it was cold, so she quickly lit the fireplace with her wand, understanding the cottage was empty.

Given the fact it was a little after ten o’clock at night, she wasn’t being greeted by an over-excited puppy and she couldn’t feel Derek’s presence, she’d guessed Derek had taken Magic for his nighttime walk before bed.

Hermione kicked off her shoes and stripped off her coat before she collapsed onto the couch, pulling a cushion to her chest and wrapping her arms around it, and then the dam burst. The tears she’d been holding back since leaving Harry’s office flowed freely and she sobbed, unable to stop.

She didn’t know how long she’d been curled up on the couch sobbing her heart out, but the door opening drew her attention.

“Hermione?”

Through her bleary eyesight, she saw Derek quickly approaching her after he growled out a command to Magic, preventing him from bounding over to her and he sat down in front of the fire obediently. Meanwhile, Hermione stood and met him halfway, throwing herself into his arms and holding onto him tightly as she sobbed into his chest.

“Hermione? What happened?” He muttered, the worry in his voice clear even as his nose brushed against her hair and he breathed in her scent, his head going dizzy after going so long without it.

She tried to answer him but couldn’t through her sobs, so he scooped her up into his arms, moved over to the couch and sat down with her cradled against him, rumbling sounds leaving his chest, his wolf’s attempt at calming her and it worked as soon her sobs had died down to sniffles.

He pulled her back from her to look at her face and what he saw broke his heart. Her face and eyes red from her cries, her cheeks showing signs of the path her tears had taken down her face and her eyes being puffy and bloodshot. She looked distraught, even more so than when he’d been injured and she’d healed him.

Uncaring for his t-shirt –it was already wet from her tears anyway- he removed his jacket and then reached down to grip the hem of his t-shirt, pulling it up and stretching it out so he could gently dab at her face, the fabric being soft against her sore eyes and cheeks. He then let his t-shirt fall back down and gently he cupped her face in his hands, locking gazes with her.

“Alright, can you tell me what happened?” He asked softly.

She gave another sniffle and took a deep breath. “I told Andy about the baby, she’s happy for me and I actually think she wants to meet you, and I saw Teddy, Merlin, it was only a few weeks ago that I last saw him but I swear he’s grown another three inches or so,” she said and he chuckled at her. She gave another sniffle. “I went to see Harry at his office. He’d been avoiding me and making up excuses when I owled him, so Andy told me to just go to his office and then he had no choice but to talk to me. I told him about the baby and he didn’t take it well. He said some hurtful things, and he took my ex’s side, like he’s always done, even when we were children. Since I’ve been gone he’s been filling Harry’s head with lies about me and now he hates me,” she spoke, tears once more gathering in her eyes. “He’s done it; he’s finally succeeded in taking Harry from me.”

She buried her face back against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, rubbing circles on her back and making comforting rumbling sounds in his chest.

“I think it’s time you tell me about this ex of yours,” he said.

She reluctantly nodded and pulled back to look at him. “Can you...”

“What? What do you need?” He asked, reaching up to brush a fallen curl back from her face.

“Can you change your eyes?” She asked.

“Why?”

“I...I just want to see them, I think it’ll help me, it’ll calm me.”

It was clear he was confused but he closed his eyes, took a breath and when they reopened Hermione was an observer to the bright blue orbs. She kept her gaze on his, feeling as though she could easily drown in his eyes.

“Thank you,” she said. “My ex, his name’s Ron Weasley.”

“Wait, the Ron Weasley from the book?” He said.

“The one and only,” she nodded. “Being friends throughout our childhood it was expected of us to one day marry and have a horde of children, and when the war ended things between us shifted. We both admitted we had feelings for each other and we became more than friends, and it got serious rather quickly. After the things we’d witnessed and been forced to do, we both knew that life was too short and we had to take the opportunity presented to us. At first things we great, I mean, he was the usual clueless, insensitive person he’d always been, but I overlooked it all. A year later I discovered he’d cheated on me.”

An angry look crossed his face but his blue eyes never wavered from her and his hand came up to cup her face, she leaned into his touch and took comfort and strength from it.

“He said it was my fault, that I’d been neglecting him for my job and I could understand where he was coming from. I spent more time at work than I did home and I was so focused on helping others that I didn’t give Ronald the attention I should’ve, and so I forgave him. How could I not? It was my fault.”

“No, it wasn’t,” he spoke resolutely. “It wasn’t your fault, you were doing important work helping to protect and preserve the lives of those that were hated and being hunted. He just used your compassion against you; he used your passion for helping others as an excuse.”

“I know, I couldn’t see it before, but I can now,” she said quietly. “Not that it matters anymore,” she sighed. “Anyway, after I forgave him I made sure to work hard to get a good work-life balance and I could give him what he needed. But it soon wasn’t enough and he wanted more from me, and I couldn’t fault him for it. After nearly two years of being together, we got engaged.”

The arm around her back tightened against her; he hadn’t known they’d been engaged.

“It appeased his mother somewhat, she’s a very traditional woman, you know, the kind were cohabitation and sex before marriage is a sin? I imagine she’d have a thing or two to say about me right now,” she said and he snorted at her. “We’d been living together for almost a year before we got engaged, luckily it was my flat and it was in my name. Anyway, I wasn’t ready to get married and I had too much to do at work before I could even attempt to plan a wedding, so we waited two years until Ronald’s whining and complaints and criticism became too hard to ignore and I gave in. If I hadn’t broken up with him I would’ve been married to him this time last week.”

“Why did you break up with him?”

“He did something I could never forgive him for doing. Ronald was pestering me about children. His mother had seven children and he wanted a big family, too, but I didn’t. I don’t think I can deal with so many kids and have a career at the same time, but that was one of the things we argued most about. I wanted to wait, he didn’t. He wanted us to get married and have our first child by the time our anniversary rolled around, but I wasn’t ready to give up my career. That was another point, he wanted me to quit my job and be a house-wife like his mother, he wanted me to cook and clean and raise the children. I can’t be that person.”

“No, you can’t, even I know that,” he agreed.

“Another reason is that Ronald hasn’t always been kind to me. Even as children he tormented me and it continued into adulthood. He wasn’t physically abusive, it was mostly psychological and emotional abuse I had to deal with.” A growl left him and he tugged her forward, pulling her further into him. “You wanted to know why I think of myself so negatively, it’s because of him. It wasn’t often he complimented me. He never called me beautiful or pretty, he never appreciated anything I did for him, the things I sacrificed for him. He said I was bossy and stuck up and a cold-hearted frigid bitch. He wasn’t protective like you are, he was _possessive_. He didn’t like it when I dressed up and went out with some of my work colleagues, he didn’t like it when I spoke to other men; he didn’t like it when I was tasked with going out of the country. He’d even accused me of cheating a few times,” she said quietly. “But when the job came up for me to transfer here, he was very much against me taking it. I was so excited, I’d been specifically asked for and not because of who I was, but because they’d recognised my achievements and my hard work. I wanted to have new experiences and meet new people, but Ron all but said I wasn’t _allowed_ to take it.”

“And then I discovered the biggest betrayal of all. He wanted children, I didn’t yet, remember?” He nodded. “Well, it seems he took matters into his own hands. I caught him messing with my contraceptives, making sure they would fail. He’d been doing it for an entire year and I never even knew.” His eyes widened and his mouth actually fell open in surprise and horror. “And that’s when I broke up with him. I kicked him out of my flat five minutes later and warded it against him. I ignored his every attempt to contact me and I made it clear to everyone that I was definitely _not_ marrying him. The next day I accepted the job offer and started making plans for my transfer here, and you know the rest.”

“What did you ever see in him?” He asked.

“I honestly don’t know, he was familiar I guess,” she sighed. “It doesn’t matter anymore, he’s out of my life now and I don’t ever plan and seeing him again.”

“I hope we do,” he said, and the way his face hardened and his jaw ticked let her know exactly why he wanted to meet him.

“Throughout our years at school we had many disagreements and Harry always took Ron’s side no matter how many times he betrayed us and I was loyal to him. I’m the reason he actually passed his classes each year and he lived to survive another day. Harry was still my friend before I moved here, but Ron and Ginny have manipulated him into hating me and it’s not hard to do, Harry’s very impressionable, always has been, and it’s why I was so protective of him growing up. I kept the witches away from him, the ones that only wanted him for his fame and wealth, and it’s why Ginny hates me so much.”

“She’s his wife?” He guessed.

“Yes, she’s a year younger than us and she had a massive crush on him, she used to follow him around and fawn over him. She once embarrassed him in front of the entire school when she sent him this Valentine’s Day poem, and he’s hated Valentine’s Day since. I saw right through her, I knew why she wanted him so I kept her away from him for as long as I could, but she got her claws into him when he was sixteen and there was nothing I could do. She hated me because I was the only witch he paid attention to, he was clueless when it came to the opposite sex; he didn’t see me as a _girl_ until I was bloody eighteen. She resents me for that fact, so when she has the chance to assassinate my character she takes the opportunity with both hands. Between her and Ron, they’ve turned him against me. He was like my little brother, and I’ve lost him to them.”

He brought both hands up to her cheeks and his blue eyes bore into her. “You don’t need him,” he told her. “You don’t need him because you have me and the baby, whether or not we work as a couple, you’ll always have me.”

She titled her head forward and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth. “I’ve really missed you,” she sighed, moving to hug him tightly and a smile pulled at her mouth when she felt his nose nuzzling at her neck.

“How’d you sleep?” She asked him.

“Terrible, you?”

“Terrible,” she echoed. “But every morning I’d wake up to a little bundle snuggled against me.”

He pushed her back from him so he could look at her face. “Meaning?” He questioned, jealously and protectiveness flashing in his blue orbs.

“Teddy, the little pup kept sneaking out of his room and climbing into my bed when I was sleeping. I suppose he wasn’t too bad a replacement for you, but he snores and for such a little thing, it’s bloody loud.”

He chuckled at her and shook his head and he lifted his hand to her cheek, seeing the redness had faded from her face and the puffiness was gone from her eyes but they still looked a little red.

“Is Teddy a werewolf, too?”

“No,” she shook her head. “Magical werewolves are unable to pass lycanthropy to their offspring, it’s not hereditary like supernatural werewolves. It’s only possible on the night of the full moon by a bite or deep scratch. And while Teddy is human, he does have the few traits of slightly better senses and he can tell when other werewolves are nearby, but he’s different because of his mother, Tonks.”

“Why?” He raised an eyebrow.

“She had the rare ability of being able to change her appearance at will, and Teddy has it too. Even at the young age of five, he’s able to control his shifting, but his hair colour is dependent on his mood, which is always blue, a sign of him being happy. Tonk’s was bubblegum pink.”

“That’s actually kind of cool,” he commented and she chuckled at him.

“Yeah, my Teddy Bear’s one of a kind,” she sighed, before shaking her head. “So, what’ve you been doing since I’ve been gone?” She questioned. “Please tell me you stayed out of trouble.”

“The weather here’s been terrible the last few days so I haven’t left the cottage much, only when I had to get groceries. But for the first few days, Magic and I spent a bit of time in the woods, and I met up with another friend from an allied pack.”

“Was this a meeting or a _meeting,_ meeting?” She questioned.

“The former,” he chuckled.

“Thank Merlin, if I’d come home to you having chunks missing, I would’ve flipped.”

“Probably,” he agreed.

“There’s something I want to show you,” she said.

He raised an eyebrow when she pulled herself free from his hold and climbed off his lap to stand in front of him. She smiled at him as she removed her robes, dropping them onto the couch and then she lifted her t-shirt and turned to the side, and even in the darkness of the room, he could see perfectly. Her baby bump, his first time seeing it.

He stared at it, refusing to turn his eyes away in case it was a mind trick. The first outward sign of their baby growing inside of her, and it was a lot bigger than he was expecting.

“I know, I was surprised, too. It just seemed to come out of nowhere. When I left for Britain I had the slightest bump that wasn’t even noticeable and now,” she gestured down to her stomach. “I have a bloody mountain,” she said. “I’m only thirteen weeks along and I can’t understand why it’s so bloody big, I’ve had to alter my jeans so they’d fit.”

He was still staring at her stomach, in fact, she was sure he had yet to blink. She moved closer until she was stood in front of him and with one hand she held her t-shirt up and the other she reached down to pick up his hand and she placed it against her stomach. The moment she did so he seemed to snap back to attention and he raised his beautiful blue eyes to look at her, seeing her smiling at him, and then he lowered his gaze back to her stomach.

He brought his other hand up to her hip and he gently tugged her forward so she stepped in-between his parted legs and he leaned forward, pressing his nose against her stomach and inhaling deeply, a wolf-like whine leaving his lips and he pressed his nose against her more firmly, nuzzling at her baby bump and his facial hair tickled her and made her giggle and squirm.

“Stop that, it tickles,” she said, removing her hand that had been holding his to her stomach and smacking at his shoulder gently.

“It strange, I knew you were pregnant, I could _smell_ it, but now it just seems...”

“Real?” She finished for him. “I know, and I also know this means you’re going to be more protective of me.” She said, before a yawn escaped her.

“Tired?” He asked, still staring at her stomach and she nodded in reply. “Come on, then, it’s getting late anyway.”

He was reluctant to remove his hand from her stomach but he allowed her to step away from him and she put out the fire before heading to her bedroom, where she changed into a t-shirt and a pair of shorts and she slipped into bed and she was soon joined by Derek who stripped down to his boxers. Since that night they’d slept together and admitted their attraction for the other, he’d slept beside her every night since and she couldn’t tell him to sleep in his own bed as she slept better when he was with her and she liked being held by him, feeling his presence even in her sleep, feeling safe and cared for.

He pulled her over to him and she went willingly, moving to cushion her head on his chest, his heartbeat calming her and she hooked her arm over him, her hand resting between the junction of his neck and shoulder. His arm wrapped around her and his hand found its way under her t-shirt, pressing against her stomach and feeling her baby bump beneath his fingers, while the other he slipped behind his head.

“There’s something I want to tell you,” he said.

“Okay, what is it?” She said sleepily.

“I want to tell you about Paige.”

She lifted her head from his chest to look up at him and she noted that his eyes were now his usual brown. She kind of missed the beautiful blue.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” she told him softly.

“If you can tell me about your asshole ex, then I can tell you about Paige,” he replied, but he didn’t look at her, rather his eyes were locked on the ceiling. She remained quiet and laid back down against him, allowing her fingers to trace his skin in what she hoped was comforting to him.

“I met Paige when I was fifteen. I was with my friends and playing basketball in the corridors of the school, she’d been in the band room practising her cello and we’d disturbed her so she came out to ask us to move. I’d never seen her before, but she was beautiful and caught my attention straight away. Back then I was arrogant and so I teased her, but later I felt bad about it so I went to apologise to her. She didn’t seem to like me at first and I didn’t blame her for it either, but before I knew it, we were dating, and I visited her every day while she was practising her cello and I made it a point to distract her so she’d get frustrated with me. We used to sneak out to the edge of town and spend time together. Peter, my Uncle, he was a manipulative bastard even when he was younger and I didn’t see it until it was too late.”

She shifted closer to him and remained silent.

“I loved her, she was my first love and I was convinced we’d be together forever. Peter convinced me that Paige would hate me once she knew the truth about me. He said the only way for us to be together was to have her changed. I resisted at first but he was relentless and I didn’t want to lose her, so I eventually gave in. Peter arranged for another Alpha to bite her and she was lured to the school where he was waiting for her. At the last moment I changed my mind and I went to stop it from happening but when I got there I could hear her screaming and I despite my size, I did my best to fight off the fully grown Alpha, but it was too late, she’d already been bitten. Her body rejected the bite and it was slowly killing her and I took her to our little hideout. I tried to save her but there was nothing I could do and I dulled the pain the best I could, but she was still dying. In the end, she begged me to kill her, and I never could deny her anything, so I did. She died in my arms and by my hand. She’s the reason my eyes are blue, I took an innocent life and my eyes are a reflection of that.”

He fell silent and Hermione noted that throughout his explanation his voice had been emotionless, detached.

When she felt his eyes on her she looked up at him, seeing him watching her intently.

“Still think my eyes are beautiful?” He questioned.

She pushed herself up onto her elbow so she could look down at him. “Yes, I do,” she said honestly. “You are not to blame for what happened, Derek. You were young and in love and you didn’t want to lose her. I can relate; I was the same with Harry only it was more familial than it was romantic. You won’t believe some of the things I did to protect him and keep him safe. It wasn’t your fault that you were manipulated by someone you thought you could trust, at that age you were impressionable and he played on your emotions and fears. You did what you thought was best and unfortunately it didn’t work. It’s awful what happened to Paige, but you are not to blame. And you didn’t take an innocent life. You relieved her from her pain and suffering, you gave her a peaceful death. You’re not a killer, and it wasn’t your fault,” she assured him. “I promise you, Derek, you’re a good man, and I’m glad that you’re the father of my baby.”

She huffed out a breath when he pulled her down to him, shifting her so that she lay on top of him, their chests pressed together, his arms wrapped around her holding her to him and his nose burying against her neck.

“Thank you,” he muttered against her skin. “I think I needed to hear that.”

“Well it’s the truth, you know I don’t lie to you, it’s practically impossible.” He snorted at her. “Now, please don’t hate me,” she said.

He pulled his face back to lock his eyes with hers. “Why?”

She gave him a sheepish look. “I really want a chocolate milkshake. Like _really_ badly.”

He stared at her before he chuckled and shook his head. “Well, I’ve planned for this. When I went for groceries I not only picked up more vanilla ice-cream, but I got some chocolate ice-cream too, and some chocolate milkshake powder, so your craving will be catered to no matter the time of day or night.”

“Oh thank Merlin,” she sighed, “Make me one please?” She all but begged.

“When have I ever refused you a chocolate milkshake?” He chuckled.

She beamed at him and peppered his face with little kisses. “You are now my most favourite person in the entire world, well, except for my little Teddy Bear, of course.”

He snorted at her and buried his nose back against her neck.

“Oi!” She smacked at his shoulder. “Why aren’t you making me a milkshake?”


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 10

**Two weeks later...**

The last two weeks had been wonderful for Hermione. Not only was she happy with her job, with her blooming relationship with Derek, but she was happy with her life, too. Genuinely happy, and she couldn’t remember a time when she’d felt such happiness.

Since her return from her visit to Britain, she and Derek had grown closer, he’d taken her on several dates, one of which involved a walk along the beach as they watched the sunset and Magic bounded across the sand happily, and another being bowling since he’d learned she’d loved it as a child. Of course, he’d beaten her by a landslide, but she didn’t allow her loss at the game to put a damper on the night.

And since her return, in the last two weeks, she’d caught the trail of three potential supernatural cases, two were confirmed to be muggle but the last one had seen Hermione tracking a dementor that had escaped the Wizarding World and taking care of it, and giving how happy she was in her life, casting her Patronus had been one of the easiest things she’d ever done.

Hermione was now fifteen weeks pregnant and she was convinced her stomach was growing by the day, and Hermione had to go out and purchase more jeans and bottoms as she was no longer able to magically alter her other ones without ruining the fabric. She couldn’t understand why her stomach was so big given she wasn’t even halfway through the pregnancy, but then she wasn’t sure if she actually was that big, or if it just appeared as such because she had a small frame. In any case, Derek loved seeing her baby bump growing, it being evidence of their child developing and being one step closer to being in their arms. Most of the time she had to bat his hands away as all he wanted to do was touch her, and touch her he did.

They were now currently sat in the diner, Hermione and Derek sitting opposite each other and with Magic laid partially on the bench and partially over Derek’s lap. They’d been chatting comfortably as they waited for their food to arrive and the moment it did Hermione tucked into it, pulling a snort from her official boyfriend of three weeks.

He’d ordered a cheeseburger and fries with a vanilla milkshake, where she had opted for a chicken pot pie with mash potato, gravy and a chocolate milkshake, and halfway through eating she paused and tilted her head to the side, looking at his place with a thoughtful look on her face.

“What is it?” He asked her with a raised eyebrow.

She bit her lip before she reached over and stole one of his fries from his plate and dipped it into her chocolate milkshake. He pulled a face at her actions and she made a noise of surprise, her eyes widening.

“Merlin, that’s amazing, you’ve got to try that,” she told him, dipping the fry back into her milkshake.

“No, thanks,” he replied.

“What? It all goes to the same place anyway and it’s surprisingly good,” she spoke, before sipping from her milkshake, her eyes locked on his plate. “You wanna do a swap?” She asked.

He looked down to his half-eaten food and then over to hers, amusement filling him at the way she wasn’t looking at him, but at his plate. He wasn’t a big fan of chicken pot pie but he’d never been able to refuse her anything, especially as she was carrying his baby, so without thought he swapped their plates around and chuckled at her when she picked up several fries and dipped them into her milkshake, putting them in her mouth while she removed the top slice of the bun from the rest of the cheeseburger, filled it with fries and then put the bun back on and taking a large bite.

“You’re strange,” he commented amusedly.

“You’re one to talk, you’re like a human sniffer dog,” she retorted around a mouthful of food and he snorted at her. She lifted her milkshake to take a sip from the glass, when she caught sight of two familiar faces entering the diner, and one of them looked very confused.

“Scott, Stiles, what are you doing here?” She spoke loud enough for them both to hear.

They pretended to look as though they hadn’t noticed her until she’d called their names. Derek had his back to them and he looked over his shoulder, before making a sound of annoyance and turning his attention back to his food, giving Magic a command to stay where he was as he looked as though he were about to jump down and bound over to Scott.

“Hey Hermione, Derek,” Scott smiled, his eyes darting between them and more specifically, their food.

“Let me guess, another free period?” She said, giving them both an amused smile and a knowing look while dipping a fry into her milkshake and they both pulled faces of disgust.

“Sort of,” Stiles said and she snorted at him.

“Do you want to join us?” She asked.

Stiles opened his mouth to speak, but Scott beat him to it. “Actually, I’ve just remembered that we have that thing we need to do, but thanks anyway.”

“What thing?” Stiles frowned in confusion.

“You know, that thing, so we better go,” he said, clapping Stiles on the shoulder, turning him around and pushing him out of the diner, throwing a ‘see you later’ over his shoulder.

Hermione and Derek shared a look as the two teens disappeared from sight.

“He’s lying through his fangs,” she commented. Derek sighed and dropped his forehead against his hand. She grinned at him.

Meanwhile, Scott was pushing Stiles away from the diner and onto the other side of the street.

“What was that all about?” Stiles asked.

Scott waited until he was sure Derek wouldn’t be able to hear him. “You saw what I did; he shared his food with her.”

“And?” Stiles said slowly, obviously not understanding what Scott was trying to tell him.

“You don’t get it; Derek _willingly_ let her take food from his plate.”

“People share food all the time,” Stiles shrugged.

“Yeah, people, but not werewolves,” Scott replied. “We don’t share our food with others, when was the last time I let you take food from me without me hitting you?”

“Since before you were bitten,” Stiles answered with a frown.

“Exactly, Derek’s sharing his food with her, I didn’t share my food with Allison because my wolf wouldn’t let me. We’re very protective of our food, and he’s letting her eat his food from his plate.”

“If it’s something that never happens, why is he letting her do it?” Stiles asked.

“That’s a good question,” Scott replied, his eyes watching Hermione and Derek through the window of the diner from across the street.

~000~000~000~

**Two days later...**

“Hermione, is that mine?”

Hermione looked down at the grey hooded jumper she was wearing, before looking back up to Derek as he stood in the doorway of the kitchen, his arms crossed as he leaned against the door frame.

“No,” she replied, going back to eating her cereal which she was having for lunch.

Derek raised an amused eyebrow. “No? Then why is it two sizes too big?”

She shrugged. “I like my jumpers baggy. It’s not yours, it’s mine. I’ve had it for ages.”

“Alright, then why is the price tag still on it?”

She reached up with her hand to feel for a price tag, and sure enough, there was one. “I said I’ve had it for ages, not that I’ve worn it before.”

“Okay, then why does it have my old high school jersey number on the back?”

“Just a coincidence,” she assured him.

“Hmm, so you didn’t go digging through my things in search of something you could wear?”

“Absolutely not,” she said, sounding outraged that he’d even suggested it, and he burst out laughing.

“You’re something else, Witch,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “You know, I don’t mind you wearing my clothes?”

“You don’t?” She asked.

He didn’t like the way she suddenly went nervous, her head lowered and she looked up at him through her lashes.

“Of course I don’t, why would I?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Ron didn’t like it, he hated that his clothes would smell like my perfume.”

A low growl rumbled in his chest before he shook his head, clearing his thought of her arsehole ex-boyfriend who he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into and then rip out his throat.

“Hermione, you can wear my clothes as often as you want, in fact, I think you should do it more often.”

“You do?” She questioned in surprise.

“You’ll be hard-pressed to find a man that doesn’t like seeing his girlfriend wearing his shirts,” he shrugged his shoulders, making his way over to her and he took her by the hands and pulled her up from her chair. “Especially when they smell as good as you,” he muttered, pulling her into him and burying his nose into her neck, nuzzling her hair aside so he could get access to her skin. “Besides, I imagine my clothes are a lot comfier for you than yours are, especially with the baby growing so quickly,” he said, his hand working under her jumper and t-shirt –his too, he thought- and pressing against the bare skin of her growing stomach.

“And warmer,” she added, letting out a sigh when he pressed a kiss to her neck and gently nipped with his teeth and she brought her arms up to wrap around his neck. “Hey, are you busy?”

“I’m heading out to meet with another allied pack later, why?”

“Just how many are there?”

“A few,” he said amused. “Why do you want to know if I’m busy?”

When she didn’t answer he pulled back to look at her, seeing her biting her lip and her eyes trailing his clothed figured. He’d seen that look more than once.

“ _Hormones_?” He said knowingly, a smirk pulling at his mouth.

“ _Hormones_ ,” she sighed.

“I’ve barely even touched you,” he said amused.

“I know, but now I can’t stop thinking about it,” she all but whined.

“Come on then, if I’m late they can wait, it’s not as if they haven’t done the same to me.”

“Oh thank Merlin,” she sighed, and he chuckled as he took her by the hand and pulled her towards her bedroom –well, it was their bedroom really since he hadn’t slept in his own room for weeks- and told Magic to stay where he was.

“You’re not going to bite me again, are you?” He asked, but he sounded amused.

She flushed bright red. “I said I was sorry, I didn’t even realise I had bitten you that hard.”

“Luckily for you, it only hurt a bit and it stopped bleeding and healed within minutes.”

“It’s not funny, Derek. I still can’t believe I did that to you, do you not think it’s strange that I’m taking on wolf traits? The full moon, the growling, the biting, it shouldn’t be happening.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Neither of us have dealt with a pregnancy like this before, so all I can say is that due to your change in behaviour, I’m confident in saying the baby’s going to be like me, and I think that’s why you’re more wolf-like. Given how badly you suffered with your morning sickness...”

“Thank Merlin, it’s over,” she interrupted.

“I think that may have had something to do with the baby-making your senses more advanced, at least with your sense of smell,” he said.

“That’s certainly possible, I did smell things quite strongly,” she mused.

“And if the baby is the cause of your wolf-like traits, it’s safe to assume they’ll disappear once the baby’s born.”

“I suppose so,”

“Good, now stop worrying, I’ve been given the _dreadful_ task of dealing with your _hormones_.”

~000~000~000~

Later in the day found Hermione stood out in the middle of the woods with Snowball perched on her shoulder. After casting a quick Time Charm to determine the time, she put her wand in her boot and reached her hand up until the little owl hopped onto it, and she brought him to her eye level.

“Alright, Snowball, it’s the moment of truth,” she told him. “Let’s see if you’re ready, shall we?” She held her hand out away from her and watched him expectantly, but he stayed put. “Snowball, your wing should be fully healed now, you can fly again, you can be free.” He made a hoot of disagreement and she snorted at him. “If you want to come back with me, that’s fine, but I need to know if your wing’s healed and the only way to know that is if you can fly. You must want to go hunting.” He tilted his head slightly. “That’s what I thought, you know where to find me, so, off you go.”

When Snowball didn’t move Hermione chuckled and shook her head before she carefully positioned him so his wings were folded against his body and she held him between her two hands.

“Fly, Snowball,” she said, before she gently tossed him in the air, letting go off him.

It took a small moment for him to get his wings working again but before he hit the floor, he flapped his wings and took off, flying up to the sky and soaring, hooting as he circled high above her head.

She laughed joyously, spinning in a circle to follow his movements before he swooped down past her face and took off into the distance. She wasn’t worried, she had a feeling he’d be back, he’d grown too attached to her not to be and since living in her cottage, she’d somewhat domesticated him.

She waited a few minutes and when she was sure he wasn’t coming back to her, she turned on her heel and started making her way back to the cottage, and given that she wasn’t that far away from it, she was almost home after a ten minute walk.

It was quiet as she hummed to herself and happily made her way home, until she came to a sudden stop when she heard the sound of the ground being disturbed, heavy thuds and twigs snapping under a heavyweight.

Hermione frowned and reached for her wand until she realised that the sounds were too loud and heavy to be a human. Slowly she got onto her knees and leaned forward, pressing her hands to the ground and hovering her ear above it, trying to see if she could determine the cause.

She was sure it was an animal of some kind and pushed herself back up and just as was about to climb back to her feet, out of nowhere came a large blur of brown, Hermione’s eyes widened and she threw herself off to the side.

~000~000~000~

“See you next year, Derek.”

“You too, Chris,” Derek replied, clapping his friend and ally on the shoulder to signify the end of the meeting and walking away to climb into his car.

Thankfully the meeting place had been in Beacon Hills as Chris was passing through, so it meant he didn’t have to travel far and he could get back to Hermione as quickly as possible. It wasn’t a long drive and he parked his car beside Hermione’s before trekking through the woods until he came to the cottage.

Trying the door he frowned when it was locked, before removing the keys from his pocket, opening the door and stepping inside and seeing there to be no lights on and there was no sound in the cottage except for the breathing of Hermione’s ugly sleeping cat and an excitedly barking puppy that bounded over to him in greeting.

Derek removed his jacket and placed the keys on the kitchen table, before scratching Magic behind the ears.

“Where is she, Buddy?” He asked the energetic dog, who barked and jumped up at him in response. Derek chuckled, pushed Magic off him and made his way through the cottage. “Hermione, you here?” He called but received no reply.

After checking her bedroom, bathroom, her library and her potions lab, he walked back into the living room with a confused frown on his face, before he spotted the empty cage in the corner of the room. And that’s when he remembered Hermione explaining a few days ago that she would be taking Snowball out into the woods to see if he could fly again.

Given that Magic had been left behind it meant she either wasn’t going to be gone long or that she didn’t want him running off when she was in no fit state to run after him, and he thought it was probably both. Deciding there was no harm in going to look for her, he slipped his jacket back on, grabbed his keys and locked the cottage up.

Knowing her scent as well as he did –so well in fact, that he’d be able to find her in a crowd of people easily- it barely took him no time at all to lock onto her scent and he followed the trail through the woods, keeping an eye out for any tracks or disturbances in the ground.

He came to a stop in an area he assumed she’d stopped at, because not only did her scent surround the area, but he found a white owl feather on the ground, too. With no sign or her or the little owl that was so fond of her he guessed she’d left the area, but seeing as he hadn’t seen her on his trek he knew she’d taken a different route back, after all, she knew the woods better than most at that point, including him.

Just to be sure, he followed her scent and made sure not to deviate from the path he was following and as he neared the cottage his nose was invaded by the scent of her, meaning she was nearby. He picked up his pace and searched his surroundings with his eyes and ears, as he wouldn’t put it past her to try and sneak up on him if she knew he were nearby, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time. He’d almost had a heart attack when she’d jumped out at him a week ago after using her magic to hide herself from him.

As he just cleared walking through a rather thick group of trees, the area opened out and when he stepped over a fallen tree his hearing picked up on the sound of a heartbeat, only it was a little slower than usual.

Frowning, he quickened his steps and kept his eyes and ears open until he stepped from behind a tree and he had fear and worry like he’d never felt before almost knock him off his feet, when his eyes landed on the crumpled heap on the floor and it wasn’t moving. Not only did he recognise the hooded jumper, but he’d recognise those wild curls anywhere.

“Hermione!” He called, sprinting over to her, closing the distance between them and dropping onto his knees beside her.

She didn’t respond and he carefully turned her onto her back, seeing her eyes closed, her face pale, and a cut on forehead with blood trickling down the side of her face.

“Hermione!” He said, his voice taking on a tone of panic and he gently shook her shoulders, but she didn’t open her eyes.

He took a deep breath and brought his hand to her neck, checking for a pulse. It was a little slower than he thought it should be but she had one. Feeling the coldness of her skin despite the thick jumper she wore, he pulled off his own coat and draped it over her form, not caring the slightest as the cold bit at his skin.

He shifted her weight into his arms and picked her up, carrying her through the woods as quickly as he could while trying not to jostle her, his intended destination being his car. It was a lot quicker to drive to the hospital than it would be to call for an ambulance and have to wait for it to arrive. Ideally, he would’ve preferred to take Hermione’s car so he could lay her out on the back seat but he didn’t have time to return to the cottage and search for her keys, not when she had a head wound, was pregnant, unconscious and had been outdoors in the cold for God knows how long.

It was a struggle to put her in the car but he was able to buckle her in the passenger’s seat and he was sure he broke every road trafficking law possible, not caring for the fact he was doing well over the speed limit or if he were to be caught by the police in doing so. His main concern was getting Hermione to the hospital and making sure she and the baby were going to be fine and he’d deal with the consequences later.

When he reached the hospital he didn’t bother locking up the car, not caring if it were to get stolen no matter how much it may have cost, and he carried her into the hospital, his grip on his emotions finally breaking.

“Help! I need some help!” He called out, and thankfully two nurses came rushing over along with a gurney and Derek placed her on it gently, being pushed out of the way so the nurses could fuss over her and transport her through the corridors.

He made to follow after her but he was stopped when a familiar-looking woman stepped in front of him and prevented him from doing so. He looked down at her, a growl rumbling in the back of his throat but she looked unfazed by the clear threat, after all, her teenage son was a werewolf, too, and an Alpha at that.

“You need to let them do their job, Derek,” Melissa McCall spoke, her voice soft but authoritative.

“She needs me,” he bit out, trying to get past her, but she held firm in her stance and brought her hands up to grip his upper arms.

“And you can see her when they’ve tended to her. They’re doing everything they can for her. I need you to tell me what happened.”

He blinked at her, a stricken look on his face she’d never seen from him before. In fact, she’d never seen him so emotional. Angry, yes, sarcastic, sure, broody, definitely, but never had she seen him worried, panicked and genuinely terrified.

“I don’t know; I found her in the woods.”

“Do you know who she is?”

“Hermione, my girlfriend,” he replied.

Her eyes widened in surprise before a softer, more understanding look filled her face. “We’ll take care of her, Derek, in the meantime I need you to fill out some forms for me, it’ll keep you distracted until you can see her.”

She made to turn around to the nurse’s station to grab said forms but his words stopped her.

“She’s pregnant,”

She spun around so fast it was a wonder she didn’t fall over. “What?”

“She’s pregnant.”

“How far along is she?” She asked him, her brown eyes watching him. “Derek!” She snapped, drawing his eyes from the ground.

“Fifteen weeks, give or take a few days.”

“Okay, I’ll alert the doctor and we’ll make sure they’re both taken care. I know you’re worried but I need you to stay here and be patient, I’ll let you know when you can see her.”

The older woman passed on a message to a passing nurse asking her to give the correct forms to Derek before she disappeared down the corridor in search of where they’d taken Hermione.

In an effort to distract himself Derek paced in the middle of the room, forcing others to walk around him and they gave him a wide berth when he’d caught someone staring at him and he snarled at them, before returning to his pacing and tugging at his hair. He did his best to control his wolf but it was futile, he didn’t have the focus to do so.

Another nurse slowly approached him and cautiously handed him the forms and a pen, and he sat down long enough to fill out the fields he knew the answers too and admittedly, it wasn’t a lot. He was able to answer the questions about her name, date of birth and such, but when it came to her address –since she lived in the woods she technically didn’t have one- and existing health conditions that ran in her family he was at a loss, as it was he’d put himself down as her next of kin, since he knew she didn’t have anyone else.

The nurse had looked unimpressed at the uncompleted form but Derek just glared at her and slammed the pen on the counter before he returned to his pacing, his worry for Hermione and the baby palpable.

He paced for what felt like years but in reality, it had barely been half an hour and when he caught sight of Melissa McCall coming down the corridor, her eyes watching him worriedly –she was a mother, after all- but a smile on her face, he felt himself relax a little, but it wasn’t enough to calm him or the wolf.

“She’s going to be fine,” she spoke and relief flooded him. “She’s got a bit of a concussion but that’s common with head injuries.”

“And the baby?” He asked, his voice thick with worry and hope.

“There are no outward signs of there being anything wrong, but we’re about to do a scan now. She’s awake and asking for you.”

His relief was evident and without another word he walked around her and made his way down the corridor, relying on his nose to pick up on her scent and leading him straight to her.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 8

Hermione’s eyes fluttered open to bright lights and the distinctive smell of a hospital invading her nose. She blinked several times to get used to the light and turned her head to see a nurse with her back to her.

“Oh, you’re awake, how are you feeling?”

Hermione turned her head to the side to see a second nurse stood beside her hospital bed with a pen and clipboard in hand and a kind smile on her face. Hermione thought she looked familiar. There was something about her brown eyes and brown hair that was pulled back into a braid, that she was sure she’d seen her before.

“Confused,” Hermione replied, pushing herself until she was sitting up and the kind-looking nurse helped her after putting the clipboard down.

“That’s understandable,” she said kindly. “You were found in the woods by your partner and brought to the hospital, from what we can tell you’ve fallen and bumped your head. Can you remember what happened?”

Hermione frowned in thought. “I think it was a deer, something must’ve startled it because it came out of nowhere and almost ran into me, I had to dive out of the way and I must’ve hit my head during the fall.”

If the nurse was surprised by her accent, she didn’t show it. Hermione lifted her hand to her head and winced at the sting before dropping her hand to her stomach and her eyes widened.

“There are no outward signs of anything being wrong,” the nurse said softly. “A nurse is retrieving the equipment so we can do an ultrasound and make sure all is well, she’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Is Derek here? Can I see him?”

“Of course, I’ll just let him know for you,” she replied before she left Hermione alone and she brought both hands up to her rest against her stomach protectively, hoping their baby was alright.

A few minutes later the curtain around her bed was thrown open and a worried-looking Derek came into view. She smiled at him and he let out a wolf-like whimper before he crossed over to her, sat on the edge of her bed and carefully pulled her into him, hugging her as tightly as he could without hurting her, pressing his nose against her neck and taking in her scent and his hand slipped to her stomach.

“I’m fine, I promise,” she assured him softly, also turning her face into his neck so she could nuzzle at his skin and breathe in his comforting scent.

“I was so worried, I found you unconscious, unresponsive and nearly freezing to death. What the hell happened?” He asked.

“I took Snowball out to see if he could fly,” she said, and he’d thought she’d done so. “And he can. When he flew off I made my way back to the cottage but a noise startled me. A deer came out of nowhere and something must’ve frightened it as it didn’t stop when it saw me so I had to jump out of the way, I must’ve banged my head when I fell,” she explained.

“This is why I don’t like you being out in the woods by yourself,” he told.

“Derek, it’s no one’s fault, it was just an accident. I didn’t even know there were deer in the woods. I’ve certainly never seen one before and I must’ve walked every inch of the woods by now.”

“I don’t want you going out by yourself again, Hermione. It’s too dangerous, accident or not. If I hadn’t found you who knows what would’ve happened to you or the baby? I can’t lose you, you’re too important to me.”

“You’re not going to lose us,” she told him softly, her hand moving to lightly scratch at the back of his neck in a way that calmed him. “But now we’re even.”

“For what exactly?”

“The Maybelle Motel,” she replied.

They heard footsteps approaching and Derek pulled back from her to see Melissa closing the curtain behind her as she wheeled the equipment over to Hermione.

“Alright, let’s see what’s going on with the little one,” she said to Hermione, instructing her to lift her clothing and unbutton her jeans before lying back, while she readied the equipment.

“Have you had a scan previously?”

“No,” Hermione shook her head. “I know I was supposed to have one around the three month mark but I’ve been so busy I’ve barely had time to breathe,” Hermione lied.

In reality, she hadn’t gone for a scan because she didn’t want to risk her magic having a reaction to the technology that would be used, and she hadn’t seen a healer as she didn’t trust that the information regarding her pregnancy wouldn’t be sold to the press by anyone looking for a payday. It wouldn’t be the first time her privacy had been breached by a health care professional.

She turned back around to face Hermione and she looked down at her stomach, a slight look of surprise on her face.

“How far along did you say she was?” She asked, looking specifically at Derek.

“Fifteen weeks,” he replied. “Why?” He asked, eyeing her cautiously as he moved to wrap his larger hand around one of Hermione’s much smaller ones.

“It’s the size, isn’t it?” Hermione said knowingly. “I thought my stomach was a little bigger compared to the photos I’ve seen in pregnancy books, especially given I’m not even mid-way through the pregnancy yet. I just assumed it was because I’m small in stature so it looks bigger than it actually is. It seemed to come out of nowhere, one day I barely had a bump and a week later it was a mountain.”

The kind nurse chuckled at her, shaking her head lightly. “I have my suspicions regarding the reasoning for your size, and we’ll see if they’re correct.”

She warned her of the coolness of the gel she put on her stomach before the screen was switched on and the scanner was moved over her stomach. Hermione’s and Derek’s eyes were glued to the screen, watching and waiting for the first glimpse of their baby.

“Here we go, it seems my suspicions are correct and from what I can see they’re both perfectly healthy and are looking a good weight and size, too.”

“ _Both_?” Hermione and Derek spoke together, turning their eyes to look at each other and then moving back to the screen.

The nurse smiled at them. “Yes, both,” she confirmed.

She shifted the scanner slightly on Hermione’s stomach and then she turned the screen to face them so they could better see it. And see it they did.

Two baby-shaped figures lying side by side and facing each other. Not one, definitely two. _Twins_.

“Oh...” Hermione breathed out, unable to finish her sentence and she turned to look at Derek, seeing him staring wide-eyed at the screen.

When she tugged on his hand he pulled his eyes away from watching their _babies_ and down to look at her, raising an eyebrow and his mouth twitching when she thumped him in the arm with her other hand.

“I can’t believe you,” she scowled at him. “Not only did your super sperm knock me up, but it bloody gave me twins, too! What’s wrong with you? You’re the reason I’m going to be the size of a whale, look at me now! I’m not far off from that!”

Derek snorted at her. “Calm down, Little Witch, it takes two to make a baby,” he reminded her.

“No, it’s all _your_ fault,” she told him.

She turned her head when she heard a noise of amusement coming from the nurse, who looked more amused than uncomfortable with the situation, and the way she was looking at Derek had her assuming that she knew him and was quite enjoying seeing Hermione poking fun at him.

“And do you know what?” She said, looking back to Derek.

“What?” He asked, not bothering to hide his amused smirk.

“I want a chocolate milkshake.”

“Of course you do,” he replied, not sounding the least bit surprised. “We’ll get you one as soon as you’re free to leave,” he said, turning to look at the nurse questioningly.

“We’d like to run a few more tests just to make sure we haven’t missed anything, but if they come back clear you’ll be free to leave,” she responded, giving them a smile before she quickly arranged for them to receive a copy of the scan, and then she tidied up the equipment and Hermione readjusted her clothing.

“Melissa?” Derek spoke as the nurse was about to step out from the curtain and close it behind her, and she turned to look at him questioningly. “Thank you,”

She smiled at him. “It’s no problem, and congratulations, with twins I have no doubt you’ll be kept on your toes,” she chuckled. “God knows Scott did with me.”

“Scott?” Hermione frowned in confusion before the light bulb went off. “You’re Scott’s mother?”

“I am, yes, I’m assuming you’re the Hermione he’s told me about,” she replied.

Well, that certainly made sense to Hermione. Now she understood why she looked familiar, it was because Scott looked like her.

“So you’re the one that wanted to steal my puppy?”

“Guilty,” she chuckled. “I couldn’t help myself, the moment I saw him I fell in love with him.”

“Everyone does,” Hermione nodded.

“Melissa, Scott doesn’t know about Hermione and I being together, and he doesn’t know about the baby - _babies_ ,” Derek corrected. That was going to take some getting used to.

“Derek, it’s none of my business, he won’t hear it from me,” she assured him. “As it is, patient confidentiality,” she shrugged before she left them alone and Derek moved to sit on the edge of the bed beside her.

“Merlin, twins!” Hermione said.

A large smile appeared on his face and she squeaked when he pulled her into a hug, his eyes falling to the little ultrasound scan that was sat on the mattress on the other side of Hermione.

“Thank you,” he muttered.

“For what?” He could hear the frown in her voice.

“For giving me a pack again,” he replied, feeling her relaxing into him and wrapping her arms around him in return. “Do you know how rare werewolf twins are? It’s practically unheard of, I’ve only heard mention of three packs having twins born, and with one of the packs one of the babies died, and I’ve only met one set of werewolf twins myself.”

“We don’t have to worry about losing one of the babies,” she told.

“Why not?”

“They’re not just werewolves, but witches or wizards, too. They have magic and magic is what keeps us alive, it’s our life force. The magic will protect them and ensure I carry to full term.”

He pulled back from her and when he did, she was caught in the gaze of his bright blue eyes.

“Derek, your eyes,” she muttered quietly, not wanting anyone to hear should they walk past. “They’re blue.”

“They are?” He questioned, sounding confused.

“Yes, they are,” she replied, unable to tear her eyes from him.

He closed his eyes, took a breath and when he opened them again they were still blue.

“Still blue,” she said. Derek frowned. “Maybe it’s your wolf,” she suggested. “Maybe he’s so happy that he’s unable to stop himself from showing. It can happen when you’re angry, so why not when your overwhelmed, too, and learning we’re not only having a baby but _twins_ , is certainly overwhelming.”

“I suppose it’s possible,” he spoke.

“Well, I hate to say this and I love seeing you this happy about the babies, but I need you to be less happy and more broody.” He chuckled at her. “You know what this means, right?” She said and he raised an eyebrow. “Not only do we have to pick out the perfect name for the baby and we need a name for both a boy and a girl, but now we need two names for each gender.”

He smiled at that. “Do you want to find out?”

She bit her lip. “I would’ve liked to have been surprised, but we’re having twins. It’s twice the preparation. What if we buy items for both genders but have two of the same? What if we buy for only one but have one of each, or two of the opposite gender? And I’m going to have to get a magical contractor out and see if they can add more rooms to the cottage, so I can make a start on the nursery and get the furnishings. This is something we can’t leave until last minute.”

“Relax,” he muttered, a rumbling sound coming from his chest to calm her like it always did. “We’ll wait a few days to give you a little time to get settled with the news of having twins, and then we’ll make a start on everything that needs doing, between the two of us we can get it done.”

She sighed and nodded. “Alright.”

“Good, once you’ve had the tests ran and you’re hopefully discharged we’ll get you your milkshake and then we’re going home and you’re going straight to bed. No arguments.”

~000~000~000~

By the time Hermione had been cleared to the leave the hospital and they’d gotten her a chocolate milkshake as well something for dinner, it was late evening. They’d returned to the cottage, and true to his word, Derek all but frog-marched Hermione to her bedroom.

After Hermione changed into a pair of comfortable pyjamas, Derek pulled her into bed with him and he held her to him, his fingers tracing patterns on her stomach.

“Are you awake?” She asked him after a long while of silence.

“No, I’m sleeping,” he replied. She huffed at him and smacked at his chest. He snorted at her. “What’s up?”

He raised an eyebrow when she pulled herself back from him and sat up, her hand moving to grip at the necklace she never took off and her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. He pushed himself up and he was leaning back while his forearms propped him up.

“What is it?” He questioned after witnessing her nervousness.

“I have something for you,” she told him, looking up at him through her lashes and he felt his mouth twitch into a smile.

She reached over for her wand which sat on the bedside table and she summoned a little velvet box before putting her wand back on the bedside table and she turned to face him with a nervous look on her face.

“I’ve been working on it for a while now, since the day you left to meet with James, actually. It’s taken me time to actually get it finished and functional, and don’t even get me started on the hours of research I had to do. It took five failed attempts until I was successful in this one.”

“So you _made_ it?”

“I created it, yes, and it wasn’t easy, like I said I’ve been working on it for weeks and had many failed attempts until I finally got the results I wanted.”

She held the box out for him and he pushed himself up and leaned back against the headboard of the bed, taking the small velvet box and opening it. He raised an eyebrow at what he saw inside and he looked to her.

“I’m not proposing,” she rolled her eyes. “I just needed something that you could have with you at all times, that you wouldn’t lose and that wouldn’t be conspicuous or look suspicious. I needed something that could be hidden in plain sight.”

“A ring’s a good choice,” he nodded his head in agreement.

“I had thought about a necklace or a cuff bracelet, possibly even a watch, but you run the risk of them breaking and getting lost, and it makes you a target of a mugging. I made sure to use pewter for the metal as not only can you not be near silver, but it looks cheap. No one’s going to want to steal it or give it a second look.”

“Smart,” he complimented. “So I’m guessing it does something magical.”

“You could say that,” she replied. “I suppose it’s a form of protection,” she spoke, bringing her hand up to grip onto the metal disc that hung around her neck. “You’ve given me protection and I wanted to do the same for you.”

When she felt his hand reach over to cover hers, she turned her head to look at him, getting caught in his gaze and noting the way his eyes flashed blue for all but a second before returning to normal.

“So what’s this magical ring do?” He questioned.

She cleared her throat and turned her body to face him, folding her legs underneath her and leaning to the side slightly with one hand propping her up.

“Several things, the first being that it has runes carved on the inside, similar to the ones I have tattooed on my back. What you don’t understand is that while ancient runes were once the language of magic, they do have some magic in them, particularly if a person pours some of their own magic into them, which is what I’ve done. If you ever feel as though I’m close by but you don’t see, hear or smell me, it’s my magic in your ring. Essentially you’ll always have a part of me with you even when I’m not.”

He blinked slowly in surprise. “Really? I’ll be able to feel you?”

“Well you won’t be able to feel me like you do now; it’ll be more like a presence in the back of your mind, a ghost of a touch. The runes I’ve used are strength, power, protection, family and communication, and that brings me onto my next point. You once asked me if there was a way you could contact me without the need of a mobile phone, well now you can. I’ve connected your ring to my necklace and as long as we’re both wearing them, we’ll be able to communicate telepathically.” He looked genuinely surprised, impressed and curious all at the same time. “Since it’s untested I’m not sure what the distance limit is between us, so we’ll have to do a few experiments when we get the chance. The next feature of the ring is that it’s layered with over a couple of dozen Protection Charms that will deflect most common, simple spells.”

“You won’t be able to hex me,” he smirked.

“I created it, I know my way around the charms,” she replied and his smirk dropped into a frown. She rolled her eyes at him. “And the final feature...”

“Spit it out,” he said when she trailed off.

She bit her lip nervously. “It contains a Locator Charm. After what happened to you with the other werewolf and with me getting hurt in the woods, I realised that we needed a quicker way to find the other should one of us be in danger. All we have to do is activate the charm and it will lock on to the other’s location and lead you straight to them, no matter where in the world we are. Since you don’t have magic like me, there’s an activation code that must be spoken, and when it’s been activated the other person will be alerted as their item will heat up. And of course, I must stress it’s to only be used in emergencies and certainly not to intrude on each other’s privacy, we’d both be aware if that were to happen.”

“I can find you anywhere in the world?”

“Anywhere,” she confirmed.

“That’s brilliant. I can’t believe you created something so...” He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

“Does that mean you like it?” She asked nervously.

“I love it,” he spoke, plucking the ring from the box and slipping it onto the finger of his choice, his right ring finger and he chuckled when the ring resized itself to fit perfectly. “Thank you,” he said, reaching over to pull her against him and wrapping his arms around her.

“I’m glad you like it, if you didn’t I probably would’ve hexed you in your sleep given how long I’ve spent creating it and all the research and effort I put in,” she spoke. He chuckled at her, burying his nose against her neck. “Now you won’t ever lose me.”


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 8

**Three weeks later...**

“Give that back, you overgrown flea-bag!”

Hermione frowned in confusion as she entered the kitchen, laughter threatening to bubble out of her the moment she became aware of what was going on.

Crookshanks was sat on the surface of the kitchen table, his tail swishing back and forth lazily, a slice of bacon hanging from his mouth and his eyes locked in a staring match with an annoyed looking Derek. He stood in front of the table with his arms crossed over his chest and glaring down at her cat.

In response to Derek’s words, Crookshanks let out a hiss and narrowed his eyes at the werewolf.

“Don’t look at me like that, you ugly, monster. You’re fat enough and if Hermione finds out you’re stealing food from the plates, you know she’ll cut off your supply of treats, which is probably a good thing. You’re so fat I don’t enough know how you managed to jump onto the table in the first place.”

Crookshanks let out a meow of indignation which was so soon followed by a hiss and he reached out to swipe at Derek with his paw, his claws out and looking to make contact with his stomach.

Derek stepped back and his folded arms dropped down beside him before a growl rumbled in his chest and he bared his teeth at her cat. Crookshanks let out a meow, gave Derek what she could only describe as a withering glare, and then jumped down off the table and strutted out of the room with his tail swishing in the air and the bacon he’d stolen still in his mouth.

“Can’t you two just get along?” Hermione asked, alerting Derek to her presence.

He turned his head to look at her, his annoyed expression still on his face but it softened slightly when he caught sight of her, an amused look on her face, her hair surrounding her face and spilling over her shoulders in wild curls and wearing one of his t-shirts, along with a pair of stretchy pants and some fluffy white slippers on her feet. Really she looked like she’d just woken up but in reality, she’d been in the library for the last couple of hours.

“He stole the bacon right off the plate,” he told her, sending a glare in the direction of the living room where he could hear Crookshanks eating said bacon. “That was the last of it.”

“Doesn’t matter anymore, I’ve changed my mind,” she replied.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” he said, picking up the empty plate and taking it the sink to be washed. “So, if you don’t want bacon sandwiches for lunch, what do you want?”

“Pancakes,” she said.

“That’s not going to fill you; I’ve seen how much you can eat.”

“If I have bananas, strawberries and whipped cream it will.”

“You ate the last of the strawberries last night,” he spoke. “I’ve put it on the list but we’re not going grocery shopping until tomorrow.”

She frowned. “I really wanted strawberries.”

“We don’t have any, there’s nothing I can do, and I’m not going all the way into town just to get you some. You’ll have to have something else.”

“Fine, then I want fish and chips.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You mean fries?”

“No, I mean chips,” she said, making her way into the kitchen and digging through the cupboards until she found the potatoes.

Derek moved to stand beside her and watched as she used her wand to peel the potatoes and slice them into chips, and much to his surprise, she literally set them on fire while they were still sat on the chopping board. She had a concentrated frown on her face as she focused her attention on controlling the flames as to not set the kitchen on fire. It was a few minutes later when the flames died down, revealing golden brown chunky chips which she sprinkled a little salt on and added a dollop of tomato sauce onto the corner of the chopping board.

She cast a Cooling Charm before she picked up a chip, dipped it into the tomato sauce and popped it into her mouth, a sigh leaving her as she leaned against the counter and picked up another chip.

“Forget the fish, I’m happy with just the chips,” she sighed.

When she turned around to pull the bread from the cupboard he snuck a chip from the counter and ate it, shrugging to himself when he realised that they weren’t actually that bad and the only difference between them and fries was that the chips seemed to be chunkier.

“What are you doing?” He asked, watching as she put some of the chips onto a buttered slice of bread and then she folded it in half and took a massive bite from it, sighing to herself.

“Chip butty,” she shrugged her shoulders.

“A what?” He asked confused.

“A chip butty, a classic British dish,” she replied. Much to his surprise, she held it out to him, offering him a bite. She _never_ shared food. “Try it,”

He looked sceptical. “It’s just bread and fries,”

Hermione gasped. “How very dare you!” She fumed. “It’s not just bread and fries, because it’s _chips_ , and it’s delicious. This will change your life. It’s not going to kill you,” she rolled her eyes.

Reluctantly he took it from her and she turned her attention to buttering another slice of bread as he took a bite. He admitted that she was right; it was quite good no matter how strange it had seemed. He ate the rest of hers and she made them both another one and once they’d eaten, the mess was cleaned up and Hermione left out the kitchen, making her way through her newly remodelled cottage.

Once Hermione had been discharged from the hospital and a few days had passed and Derek was no longer worried for her health, Hermione had called in the contractors to see what they could do with regards to adding in more rooms. The extension magic on the cottage was at its limits and they weren’t able to build an extension without altering the structure of the cottage which meant that they had to go upwards, building an entire floor above the ground floor.

For this Hermione and Derek had to leave the cottage for a few days to allow the contractors to do the work, and Derek surprised Hermione with a weekend trip away to a hotel and spa retreat. Scott had happily agreed to watch Magic for her while she was gone, Snowball had returned to her but would disappear for a few days at a time so she knew he would be fine, and she knew Crookshanks could easily fend for himself. She left out plenty of food for him and instructed the contractors to leave the window open so her cat could get in and out of the cottage, and they’d even given him fresh water for her while she was away.

For the days they were away, Hermione spent her time getting massages which helped with her aching body, facials, manicures and pedicures and aromatherapy treatments while Derek was off doing God knows what, but she didn’t care, she’d never felt more relaxed. She was a little disappointed when it came time to leave but she was excited to see the cottage and to get back to her zoo of pets.

In order to make the layout of the cottage work with the newly built floor, the library and potions lab had been moved to the first floor which actually worked out better for her, allowing for more space for each room, and the previous rooms had been converted into a further two bed rooms. Derek had been amused and impressed with the way Hermione had decorated both rooms in neutral colours, while ensuring that one of them would be the nursery until the twins got old enough to have their own rooms. 

Hermione and Derek had made a deal as he refused to allow her to pay for everything. She had paid for the extension on the cottage as it did belong to her, no matter how much he wanted to go halves with her on the final price and of course, Hermione refused. The deal between them meant that Hermione would pay for clothing, the pushchair, nappies and things of that sort and that Derek would buy the furniture for the nursery as well as the age-appropriate toys.

As Hermione made her way to the stairs in order to head back to her library, she found herself stopping at the nursery when she caught sight of a mess from the corner of her eyes. She pushed the door further open and stepped inside to see one side of the room littered with empty cardboard boxes and packaging and the rest of the room being fitted with furniture.

She walked to the centre of the room to better see as her eyes took in the sight of the almost completed nursery. The floor was covered with the softest white carpet she had been able to find and the walls were bare, waiting to be changed to an appropriate colour once they learned the gender of the babies. On the back wall sat a large solid oak wardrobe and on either side sat a chest of drawers. In the corner of the room by the window sat a rocking chair and a solid oak toy chest sat in front of the window. On the wall opposite and behind the door there were two solid oak cribs pressed up against the wall and the head and foot of the cribs pressed together. Sat in front of the wardrobe was what looked to be a half-assembled changing unit, too.

Well, now she knew what Derek had been doing that morning as the furniture certainly wasn’t in the nursery the night before. She turned around when she felt Derek’s presence and he was watching her, leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

“How?” Was all she managed, being too overwhelmed that the nursery was one step closer to being finished.

His mouth pulled into a smile. “One of the packs we’re allied with has a member that owns a furniture store. They were able to get it here within two days and they helped with transporting the boxes through the woods and to the cottage, and your magic worked like a treat, they weren’t able to enter through the door. You were in the library so you didn’t notice that I left for an hour or two. I’ve spent all morning putting them together.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked. “I could’ve saved you the time and spelled the furniture to put itself together.”

He shrugged. “I wanted to do it myself and I wanted to surprise you.”

“Consider me surprised,” she replied, her eyes beginning to water.

“Do you like it?”

She nodded, feeling her emotions getting the better of her and she burst into tears, dropping her face into her hands and muffling the sounds of her cries. Derek chuckled at her and crossed the room to take her in his arms and she clung to him tightly. Rumbling sounds could be heard in his chest and they didn’t stop until her cries died down. He pulled back from her and took her face in his hands, wiping away the last of her tears and she gave a laugh-sniffle.

“Sorry, hormones,” she sniffled.

“I thought as much,” he replied, an amused smile pulling at his face.

“Look, Derek, don’t take this the wrong way, but how can you afford all of this?” She asked.

She really didn’t want to offend him but she knew from furnishing her own home and her previous flat that furniture wasn’t cheap, especially solid oak furniture. Even with her job, the reward money from the war and her inheritance from her parents and grandparents, Hermione had been very cautious of the price tags. Now it didn’t matter as much as she’d almost tripled her net worth over the last six years, but she was also sure to be aware of price tags.

As far as she knew Derek didn’t have a job, after all he was with her most of the time and when he wasn’t he was out meeting with other packs and running errands, he barely left her side, and he’d never mentioned having a job either. So how was he able to afford things such as solid oak furniture, spa trips and even his bloody car?

“I’m almost certain you don’t have a job, so I can’t understand how you can afford to buy things such as this. I know how expensive it is. You’re not into anything _dodgy_ are you?”

He snorted at her. “No, I’m not, so there’s nothing for you to worry about, and I’m not offended, if the roles were reversed I’d probably be suspicious, too.”

“So?” She prompted.

“My family’s wealthy,” he shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not entirely sure how or why to be honest, but they’ve had wealth even before I was born, and my mother, too. I think it has something to do with investments when my grandfather and his brother were young, and it was before they met their wives. There’s a hidden vault in Beacon Hills with all our possessions and bonds.”

“Should you really be telling me this?” She asked him with a slight frown.

“I don’t see why not, are you going to steal from me and take off?” He said with a raised eyebrow.

“No, I don’t need your money, I’m wealthy myself.”

He titled his head slightly and moved to once again lean against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. “I thought you might be,” he replied. “I know this place was a dump before you bought it, but I also know that buying land in these woods isn’t cheap either. Not to mention you paid the contractors in full and in cash, not many people can do that.”

“My family had money, too. My parents were both dentists and my grandfather an investment banker. I have my inheritance from my parents and grandparents, the reward money from the war and my wages from my job. With my job being as dangerous as it is I was paid very well, but since my move here, my wage has almost doubled.”

“The babies might not have a lot of family, but they’ll certainly never want for anything,” Derek said.

Hermione nodded in agreement. “But we have to be careful that we don’t spoil them, I refuse to have ungrateful, arrogant children. I was forced to spend my childhood with many and I would never forgive myself if my children were raised to be like them.”

“You and I both know you won’t let that happen,” he replied. “Now, off you go back to your books, I need to finish putting the changing unit together, and once I’m done I’ll bring you up a chocolate milkshake.”

“You’re perfect,” she sighed before she left the room and kissed his cheek as she passed him, making her way up the stairs and back to her library.

~000~000~000~

**Two days later...**

It was now early evening and as Hermione made her way to the kitchen to make a start on dinner, she was distracted by the sound of Magic barking loudly.

She frowned to herself and made a detour, following the sounds through the cottage and stepping into the living room at the same time Derek did, both of them looking to Magic confused as he stood at the front door and barking madly.

This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence as he usually did it when he needed to go out, but this was different. Not only was he barking, but he was jumping up at the door and scratching it with his paws, seeming to be desperate in his need to be outside.

“That’s not normal,” Hermione frowned in confusion.

Derek growled out a command for Magic to sit, but much to the surprise of the both of them, Magic ignored him, something he’d never done before.

“Derek, I have a bad feeling about this,” she told him, turning her head to look up at him.

“Unfortunately, so do I,” he muttered.

They both shared a look before Hermione summoned their coats and shoes and once they were both ready, Derek clipped the lead to Magic’s collar and they stepped out of the cottage, Magic trying to pull away from Derek as Hermione locked up.

They walked as quickly as they could, Derek allowing Magic to guide the way but with Hermione, it was taking longer than usual and Magic seemed more insistent to get to their destination.

“Just go, Derek,” Hermione told him. He made to argue. “No, I’m only slowing you down, you’ll be able to keep up with him. He’s behaving this way for a reason, animals -dogs in particular- are very sensitive to magical and supernatural auras, just like they are with epileptic fits and natural disasters. They can sense when something bad’s going to happen or has already happened. Just follow him and I’ll track you. I’ll be fine.”

He didn’t look pleased, but he reluctantly nodded. “Be careful.”

“You too, if it’s magical you have no idea what you could be up against.”

He nodded once more and then dropped Magic’s lead to the ground and the dog bounded off into the distance with his barks echoing after him and Derek was quickly on his trail.

Hermione sighed and pulled her wand from her coat pocket, whispering a, “ _Point Me_.” Her wand spun in her hand before pointing in the direction she had seen her dog and boyfriend run in.

It took her a little over twenty minutes of trekking through the woods when she heard the sounds of Magic barking and she knew they were nearby. She quickened her steps and continued to follow the directions of her wand before they came into view, seeing Magic’s lead being tied around a tree to stop him from escaping and Derek was stood leaning against a tree. When he heard her approaching he turned his head to look at her, and she knew by the look on his face what had happened.

“Dead body?”

He nodded. “I’m guessing it’s been dead no more than a few hours,” he replied, walking over to her and helping her to step over a large branch, before guiding her over to the body. Derek sent a growl to Magic and the barking dog finally quieted down.

They came to a stop beside the body and Hermione sighed when she saw him, he didn’t look old, probably a teenager of around seventeen, eighteen, she thought. His skin was pale, his eyes closed and his black hair had dirt and leaves in it. He lay sprawled on his back with his t-shirt ripped and torn, showing his torso being covered in deep wounds and blood having soaked through his clothing and onto the ground.

“This might be supernatural,” he told her. “Those wounds look consistent with claws, werewolf claws to be exact.”

She frowned slightly and tilted her head. “I’m not sure,” she replied, before getting down onto her knees with Derek’s help and he crouched down beside her.

She brought her hand up to the torso of the body, not touching one of the wounds but allowing her fingers to trace the shape as if she was.

“What are you doing?” He asked her.

“Just trying to see if I can get a feel of any sort of aura or presence. Everyone has one, magical and supernatural. It’s how I know when you’re nearby, I can _feel_ it. I can feel it’s you.”

“And can you feel anything?”

She shook her head. “No, there’s something but it’s too faint to be able to pick up on, so the killer wasn’t in the area very long or didn’t come into close contact with the victim.”

Derek pointedly looked down to the body’s wounds. “They got close enough to do that,” he nodded to it.

“Maybe not,” she muttered.

He pulled a face when she lowered her hand and dug her fingers into one of the wounds, trying to determine the width and depth of the wound to help her narrow down the list of suspects. When she pulled her hand back, he was surprised to see that blood coated her fingers.

“Probably has a health condition like haemophilia, if not it could be a type of venom found in the claws of the one that did this. I know some creatures do have venoms that make healing open wounds almost impossible as it affects the blood clotting in the body. Actually, it’s probably the latter.”

She dug the fingers of her other hand into another wound, searching for anything that may have been left behind, while Magic started barking again and Derek shushed him over his shoulder, but when he didn’t listen, he just ignored the dog thinking he wanted some attention.

“Found anything?” He asked, seeming to know what she was doing.

“Not yet,” she replied, removing her fingers from that wound and moving onto another.

“Step away from the body and put your hands in the air!”


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 13

Hermione froze and Derek did the same beside her, before she let out a groan and her head tipped forward.

“Brilliant, just what I need,” she sighed.

“This is my last warning, step away from the body and put your hands in the air!”

Derek let out a grumble from beside her before he slowly stood to his full height and turned around to face the one that had caught them. He supposed he probably should’ve listened to Magic’s warning, but then, because of his barking he hadn’t heard someone approaching as the loud sounds had drowned out everything else.

“Sheriff,” Derek spoke coolly.

Hermione groaned once more, it wasn’t just a police officer, but the bloody sheriff as well! Only she would have that luck.

“I should’ve known I’d find you here,” the sheriff replied.

Derek shrugged his shoulders and slipped his hands into his pockets. “I don’t go looking for bodies.”

“No, you just find them.”

“Actually, the dog found it,” Derek said, gesturing to the barking dog with his head before he let out a growl and Magic quickly settled down.

“Step away from the body!” The sheriff spoke and Hermione didn’t have to look to know that he had a gun trained on her back, and she felt Derek’s presence flare up around her protectively.

“How else am I supposed to examine the body?” She replied, not looking at him and keeping her attention on the body.

“You’re not,”

“Sheriff, I suggest you lower the gun,” Derek interrupted her before she could retort. The tone of warning in his voice was unmistakable and his body tensed, his hands clenching into fists in his pockets at trying to contain his wolf. “I won’t be held responsible for anything that might happen.”

“You know I’ll arrest you.”

“I do, but I don’t care. My wolf isn’t taking kindly to you holding my girlfriend at gunpoint.”

Even she heard the sheriff falter slightly, and she wondered why everyone had such a reaction to finding out she was his girlfriend. It wasn’t that farfetched, was it?

When she heard heavy footfalls she turned to look over her shoulder, briefly catching sight of the middle-aged man with brown hair and light brown eyes, before two familiar teens came into view. They both came to a stop beside the sheriff, one of them perfectly fine, the other leaning over with his hands on his knees and his breathing coming out in pants.

“I told you to wait for me in the car,” the sheriff told him.

“You know I never listen, Dad,” Stiles panted.

Hermione blinked in surprise before she shook her head. Well, now she knew where Stiles got his interrogation skills from.

“Hermione!” Scott spoke, his eyes widening and darting between her, Derek and the body.

“Hey, Scott, Stiles,” she replied with as big a smile as she could manage, given that she was on her knees with her fingers stuck inside a dead teen’s body.

“What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” she replied.

“Lower your gun or I won’t be able to control myself,” Derek interrupted, a growl wrapping around his words and the teens’ eyes widened when Derek’s eyes flashed blue.

“I’m fine, Derek, he’s not going to shoot me.”

“You don’t know that,” he replied, keeping his eyes on the sheriff.

“I do,” she said.

She removed her fingers from the body and then tried to stand up but growled in frustration when she couldn’t do it without losing her balance. Derek spared a brief moment in his glaring at the sheriff to help her back to her feet and the moment she turned around, three pairs of eyes widened at seeing her prominent baby bump as her coat was unfastened and it fell open.

“Oh My God!” Scott muttered. “Now it makes sense.”

“You’re pregnant!” Stiles cried, looking a little faint.

“Yes,” Hermione offered him a smile. “Eighteen weeks.”

“Eighteen weeks!”

“Yes, pregnant.”

“Pregnant!”

“Eighteen weeks pregnant,” Hermione confirmed.

“I knew it,” Scott spoke, shaking his head. “Werewolves don’t share food, but I saw you let her take food from your plate,” he said quietly, not expecting her to hear him. “It’s yours, isn’t it?” He said louder this time for them all to hear.

Derek rolled his eyes. “She _is_ my girlfriend.”

Stiles let out another cry and Hermione had to stifle her laugh at his disappointed look.

“Your girlfriend!” Stiles cried once more.

“My girlfriend,” Derek confirmed.

“His girlfriend!” Stiles turned his eyes to her.

“His girlfriend,” she nodded.

“You’re pregnant!”

“Yes, eighteen weeks pregnant and Derek’s the father,” she said slowly, seeing as he seemed to be having a hard time processing the news.

Stiles’ eyes darted between her and Derek, before his eyes rolled into the back of his head, he swayed on his feet and he collapsed to the ground like a sack of potatoes, fainting.

“Oh Dear,” Hermione spoke, worry crossing her features but neither Scott, the sheriff or Derek looked surprised.

“He’s fine,” Scott said, not looking at her but at her stomach.

She shifted uncomfortably and cleared her throat. “Right, well then, since I’m pregnant I know the sheriff’s not going to harm me,” she said.

Slowly the sheriff seemed to come back to his senses and he lowered his gun, but he didn’t put it back in the holster.

“Sorry, Sheriff, we haven’t met yet, I’m Hermione Granger, and I’m not letting you interfere with this, I have my orders and you’re not going to stop me from seeing them through.”

“Orders?”

“Yes, orders,” she replied.

“She works for her government,” Scott told the sheriff. “She won’t tell us what she does because it’s classified.”

Hermione nodded. “I’d show you my badge but I left it at home. I wasn’t expecting to need it.”

“You have a badge?” Derek asked her, looking surprised.

“Of course I do,” she replied, turning her head to give him a smile. “Is someone going to wake him up?” She asked, gesturing to the heap on the cold ground.

Scott shrugged before he kicked at Stiles’ shoe and the teen bolted upright, shaking his head as he brought a hand to the back of it. His eyes landed on her stomach again.

“Girlfriend, pregnant, broody werewolf,” he muttered incoherently.

Scott snorted and the sheriff let out a sigh, before Scott helped Stiles to his feet and slapped him on the back of the head to bring him out of his shock, which seemed to do the trick.

“What are you doing here?” The sheriff asked her.

“I’m guessing the same as you, only I got here first. My dog brought us here,” she said, nodding to her dog the way Derek had earlier. “But how did you know to come here? We’re in the middle of the woods.”

The two teens shared a look with the sheriff and she and Derek snorted.

“She knows geniuses,” Derek spoke, his body relaxing slightly now that Hermione no longer had a gun pointed at her and she leaned her body against his arm.

Their eyes widened and she snorted. “It’s true, I do,” she nodded. “It’s my job to know,”

“What do you mean by that?” Scott asked, narrowing his eyes slightly on her.

She looked up at her Derek questioningly.

“It’s up to you,” he shrugged his shoulders.

She sighed and brought her hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose before she thought better of it when she saw the blood covering her fingers.

“Fine, follow me,” she instructed, moving over to Magic, releasing him from being bound to the tree and she and Derek made to head back to the cottage. “Leave the body, my people are already on their way to ensure it’ll be taken care of.”

She didn’t need to look to know they followed her.

~000~000~000~

“You live here?” Stiles asked her, looking up at the now two-story cottage.

“Yes, I do,” she replied, subtly flicking her wand to remove the wards to allow them access.

Derek took the keys from his pocket and opened the door, allowing Hermione to step inside first, he followed after her and then others after him. Hermione released Magic from his lead and he bounded out of the living room and to the kitchen.

As Derek moved over to the armchair, Crookshanks darted across the room almost tripping him up.

“Damn it!” He cursed. “Watch it you little monster,” Derek growled.

Hermione saw the two teens trying to stifle their laughter.

Crookshanks meowed at him before he jumped up onto the back of the couch and Hermione picked him up and held her against him, Crookshanks purring as he butted his head against her chin and then he looked to Derek and hissed at him. Derek sent a snarl back in reply and Hermione rolled her eyes whilst the teens pulled a face at seeing how ugly her cat was, she was used to such a reaction.

“They’ve been like this since they met,” she told the three guests before she put Crookshanks down and he walked out the room and into the kitchen and Hermione followed, where she washed her hands and sent a quiet Patronus to The Ministry to alert them of the body and her suspicions on the one responsible.

She returned minutes later with a tray in her hand, with coffee for Derek and the sheriff, a glass of orange juice for herself and two sodas for the teens, which she placed on the table before handing the coffee to Derek and he pulled her to sit on his lap seeing as the other three were taking up the couch.

She wasn’t blind to the way the three guests blinked in surprise at the motion, nor was she when they did it again as Derek’s hand slipped to rest against her stomach and he buried his nose against her neck, nuzzling at her and making her giggle until she slapped at his arm.

“Stop that,” she told him with a scowl. He mumbled something but he did pull back to sip at his coffee. “My badge,” she said, throwing it to the sheriff and he caught it, flipped open the case and frowned down at it.

“This doesn’t say what department you work for,” the sheriff said.

“You’re right, it doesn’t,” she replied, giving him an innocent smile and Derek snorted at her. “But that doesn’t matter, all that matters is that I’ve proved I work for my government, that I’m working this case and that the one responsible is caught. I’ve already informed my people and they should be taking care of the body any moment now, and I believe I already know who did it.”

“That was quick,” Derek commented.

She shrugged. “Judging on the width, length and depth of the wounds, there’s only one thing I know that has claws that match that description, and no, it’s not a werewolf. The claw markings were too big,” she said, turning her attention to the others.

“How do you know about werewolves?” Scott asked her, sitting forward in his seat and absentmindedly petting Magic when he bounded back into the room and sat himself at Scott’s feet.

“I’ve known since I was a child, I grew up with the knowledge. My government is aware of the existence of the supernatural and before moving here my job was to ensure that supernatural beings were protected against hunters and their identities remained secret from the public so they could live normal lives. If a supernatural being broke the laws and harmed a human they would lose our protection and hunters would likely find them, but there’s nothing we can do for that. We make it clear what the laws are; we’re not responsible should they be broken. We also keep track of hunters and if they went after innocent supernatural beings I was sent out to warn them that should they continue they’d face the consequences, if they didn’t listen they were thrown in a specially made prison just for hunters.”

“So you’re not a hunter?”

Hermione sighed and Derek snorted. He’d come to the same conclusion when they’d re-met but now he knew it couldn’t be any farther from the truth.

“No, I was the opposite. Without sounding too arrogant, I was really good at what I did and because of it I was headhunted and brought over here to work for the American branch of my government. Seeing as Beacon Hills is a hell-mouth for the supernatural, I was placed here to monitor supernatural activity and to investigate any suspicious deaths, like the one you’ve just witnessed.”

“So it is supernatural?” The sheriff asked, while Scott and Stiles still seemed to be surprised by what she’d divulged.

“No, it’s not,” she replied.

He frowned. “But you said the one that did it had claws.”

“I did, but that doesn’t mean it’s supernatural. I’m bound by the laws of my people and should I reveal something I’m not supposed to I’ll be thrown in prison. Our existence would be threatened if the public discovered us, it’s the reason we’re so secretive. But there are other things in the world other than the supernatural and humans.”

“Are you saying you’re different, too?” Stiles asked her, sitting forward on the couch and looking as though he were about to interrogate her.

“Yes, I’m different, but I’m not supernatural. I have certain abilities and capabilities that make me different, which is why I said I work for _my_ government.”

“Such as?”

“I can’t tell you,”

Stiles scowled at her and Derek snorted. “He’s not going to back off until you tell him something,” Derek pointed out.

“Fine,” Hermione sighed. “One of the abilities I possess is that if I should wish to, I can teleport to other places. Short distance travel is easy; long-distance travel requires several breaks in-between to recharge my battery, so to speak.”

They all stared at her as if she had two heads.

“I don’t believe you,” Stiles said.

“I can’t demonstrate, once I reached the four month mark of my pregnancy it became too dangerous to teleport, and I’m not risking it. For the next six months, I’m grounded and can only travel by means of my car.”

“You knew, didn’t you?” Scott spoke. “You knew about me?”

She nodded. “I did, yes. I knew about you before we even met, I just couldn’t put a name to the face until we did meet. My government has a record of every supernatural being in existence and we have it so we can ensure your safety by sending out agents to make sure you’re safe from hunters. If word pops up about the existence of the supernatural an agent from another department is sent out to debunk those rumours. All we have on you is your name, supernatural being status and a last known location, which may or may not be your address. The last known address we had for Derek is the old Hale House, but that doesn’t matter, we can easily track someone if we need to. You’re in the system for your own safety and nothing else. Only a select few have access to the records, me being one of them as I have a high-security clearance.”

They all sat back into the cushions of the couch and their eyes fell back to her stomach.

“How long have you known each other? Where did you meet?” Scott asked.

“A while and it’s none of your business,” she replied.

Stiles scowled at her and opened his mouth to retort, but Derek beat him to it. “I wouldn’t wind her up if I were you, I know who she is and what she’s capable of,” he warned. “And she seems to have taken on some wolf traits thanks to the babies.”

“Babies?” The three guests said in surprise.

“Twins,” Derek and Hermione both confirmed.

Stiles looked like he was about to faint again.

“I’ve got a pack again,” Derek muttered, burying his face back against Hermione’s neck and this time she just rolled her eyes, while the other three looked highly uncomfortable.

“Well, now that you the truth about me...”

“We don’t know anything,” Stiles interrupted.

“I think it’s best you leave, I’m starving and meal times around here aren’t pretty, especially when I can’t decide what I want to eat and my hormones have me bursting into tears. I doubt you want to be here to witness that.”

“No, thanks,” the sheriff spoke, pulling himself to his feet and gesturing for the teens to do the same, despite Stiles looking as though he wanted to stay and interrogate her some more. “So if I find you in the woods with a dead body?”

“Leave me to it, I’m doing my job just as you are. You deal with humans and I’ll deal with the supernatural. It’s one less thing for you to worry about. At the moment I’m relying on my colleagues to deal with the dangerous side of the job,” she spoke, patting her stomach lightly. “But once I’m no longer at risk of putting the babies in harm’s way I’ll be on my own.”

Hermione stood from Derek’s lap and ushered them out of the cottage before erecting the wards around the property once more.

“That went well,” Derek commented, drinking the last of his coffee and reaching over to put the mug on the table. “So, what it is?”

“Hippogriff, they wander into the Muggle World all the time. I don’t know what that kid was doing in the woods, but hippogriffs are prideful creatures. If you don’t bow before one it’ll take it as an insult and it’ll attack you. It’s not their fault, it’s just the way they’ve always been, it’s like a bear protecting her cubs; you can’t blame her for it. It’s just an accident. The other agents will track the location of the hippogriff and see it’s taken back to the Wizarding World,” she explained.

She picked up the tray from the table and moved into the kitchen with Derek following behind her.

“Are you alright with them knowing about us and the twins?” She asked him.

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face before coming up behind her at the counter and wrapping his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder as he watched her make a start on cutting the vegetables for dinner.

“I’m not ashamed of you or the babies,” he told her honestly. “I just wanted to be cautious. While the Hale Pack has allies we also have enemies, too. I wanted to protect you for as long as I could and if people didn’t know about you or the babies, then you were safe. I suppose I can no longer protect you, you’re too far along now to hide the pregnancy and my wolf’s far too protective of you for it to be a platonic relationship between us, even if you are the mother of my babies. People are going to notice if they haven’t already and I’m just going to have to get used to the fact that I can no longer protect you by keeping us or the babies a secret.”

~000~000~000~

**One week later...**

“You definitely want pizza?” Derek asked, slipping on his leather jacket and picking up his keys.

“Yes,”

“You’re not going to change your mind?”

“No,”

“I’ll get a cheeseburger, too, then.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” she agreed with a nod.

He snorted at her. “I’ll be back soon, don’t get into any trouble while I’m gone.”

“You know I can’t promise that,” she replied, lazily turning a page in her book as she lounged on the couch.

“Unfortunately, I do,” he shook his head before he clipped the lead to Magic’s collar and left out the door.

In the last week things had been quiet. Hermione received word several hours later that the hippogriff had been caught and returned to the Wizarding World, and since, things had been quiet. Hermione and Derek still took daily walks through the woods but with Hermione tiring quite easily, they didn’t trek as far as they used to. They spent most of their time reading books from her library or cuddled on the couch watching TV and Hermione had never been more relaxed.

They hadn’t run into Scott or Stiles whilst they visited the town but Hermione didn’t expect to since it was always during school hours, and Derek hadn’t heard from Scott either, not that he was expecting to or that it bothered him.

The nursery was almost complete, too. All that was left to do was change the colour of the walls and purchase the clothing, which Hermione was waiting to do until they were able to discover the gender of the babies, and it wouldn’t be that much longer a wait.

As Hermione turned another page in her book, her fireplace roared to life and she startled before calming herself. There was only one person who had access to her floo network, and when she saw them step out, Hermione frowned in confusion but a smile lit her face as she pushed herself up from the couch.

“Andy? What are you doing here?” Hermione asked, approaching the older woman and pulling her into a tight hug.

“Merlin, Dear, you’ve gotten so big,” she spoke, sounding surprised as she pulled back from Hermione and she looked down at her stomach.

Hermione sighed and patted her stomach. “I had my first scan a few weeks ago, it turns out I’m having twins.”

“Well, that certainly explains it.”

Hermione nodded. “Derek received the brunt of my annoyance for a good while,” she said. Andromeda chuckled at her and shook her head. “What are doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you, of course.”

“I wish to speak to you about something,” she replied.

Hermione’s smile dropped from her face and her eyes carefully scanned the older witch, finally noticing that Andromeda looked exhausted, she had more wrinkles than she remembered her having and her cheekbones stuck out a little more than they used to. In wizarding age, Andromeda was barely halfway through her life expectancy so for her to look older than she was had Hermione worried.

“I’ll make some tea,” Hermione spoke.

She led Andromeda out of the living room and through to the kitchen, where she quickly made a pot of tea and sat next to Andromeda at the kitchen table. The older woman gratefully accepted the hot beverage, took a sip and turned to face Hermione.

“Where’s Teddy?” She asked.

“With a sitter,” Andromeda answered. “I’ve been to the hospital this afternoon for a routine checkup.”

“What did the healers say?”

Andromeda gave her a tight smile. “Oh, the same as usual.”

“You’re lying to me,” Hermione frowned.

“Of course I’m not, Dear,” she denied, sipping at her tea. “I’m visiting as I wish to discuss something with you.”

Hermione’s eyes trailed her face before she shook her head. “Okay, what is it?”

“I’ve been contemplating moving,” Andromeda said. Hermione raised an eyebrow. “Teddy has been different since you left, he doesn’t laugh or smile as much as he used to and I know he misses you, and I understand why. It’s your pack bond. It may have been severed with the loss of Remus...”

“But Teddy can still feel the remnants of the bond, no matter how young he was when it was severed,” Hermione said in understanding.

“Yes, and I hate to see him suffering so. I think it’s best if I do the same as you and move across the pond, maybe even to Beacon Hills so we are close by,” she said. Hermione’s eyes widened. “But I wouldn’t just be doing this for Teddy, I have nothing keeping me in Britain and moving might be what we both need, a new start if you will.”

“But what about Harry and Teddy?” She frowned.

“Dear, Harry hasn’t been to see Teddy in a long while, but he came by last week. He wished to inform me that Ginny’s recently found out she’s pregnant, nine weeks.”

Hermione made a noise of surprise. If Ginny was pregnant Harry had no right to be so judgemental about her own circumstances.

“He came to tell me that he wouldn’t be able to visit Teddy as he would be too busy focusing his attention on Ginny. I admit, I may have lost my temper and threw him out on his behind.”

Hermione snorted, it was the least he deserved.

“That was the last straw, he’s replacing Teddy with his child and I understand that this is his first child, but with his decisions come consequences. Teddy is too young to understand and he’s been very upset since I told him Harry wouldn’t be coming to see him.”

A growl slipped from the back of Hermione’s throat and Andromeda raised an eyebrow.

“Sorry,” Hermione said sheepishly. “I’m taking on wolf traits thanks to the babies, Derek reckons they’ll disappear once the babies are born.”

Andromeda shook her head and chuckled at her. “Teddy has been through so much in his life, and I won’t be having Harry upsetting him. You are what he needs, Dear, and I know you have a life here now, so I thought it best for the both of us to come to you. I have seen how happy you are since moving here and I’m hoping that Beacon Hills can do the same for Teddy.”

Hermione bit her lip, seeing Andromeda’s reasoning. “Andy, _please_ tell me the truth, how are you?”

The older witch sighed and sipped from her tea before reaching over to cover Hermione’s hand with her own.

“I have not been well for a long time, Dear,” she admitted. “During the war, Bellatrix sent me a package when she discovered that Nymphadora had married Remus. The item was cursed.” Hermione gasped and she felt tears welling up in her eyes. ”It was my own fault, I had thought I’d cast all the Detection Charms but I was wrong. The curse is attacking my magic and weakening it. For years the healers have been treating me and have been able to stabilise my magic and stop the curse from spreading, but over the last year their treatments are no longer effective. Within a year or two, my magic will be gone and I will be a Squib.”

Hermione’s tears fell down her face and she gripped Andromeda’s hand tightly.

“I have come to terms with it, Dear,” she said with a sad smile. “Not only is my magic weakening but my body, too.”

“Which is why you look older, you’re ageing,” Hermione said quietly, realisation dawning on her.

While she was barely midway through her wizarding life, Andromeda was already nearing her fifty-fourth birthday, she would have the life expectancy of a muggle, and that was _if_ losing her magic didn’t kill her first.

“That’s why you want to move here, you’re worried you won’t be able to look after Teddy.”

Andromeda gave her another sad smile. “I’m not getting any younger, Dear, in fact, I’m getting older. I can’t keep up with the little bundle of energy and when he gets older, it’s going to be harder for me.”

Much to Hermione’s confusion, Andromeda removed her hand from Hermione’s and dug into the pocket of her robes, pulling out an envelope that looked to be a few years old with the creases and colouring, and she placed it on the table.

Hermione looked down at it, seeing her name written across the front and she’d recognise the handwriting anywhere.

“Remus,” she whispered, reaching her hand out and pressing her fingers over the handwriting.

“This was the last thing he ever wrote,” Andromeda said. “I haven’t opened it as I was told to keep it safe until the time was right, and I feel now is that time. It was Remus’ and Tonks’ wish that you, Hermione, be given full custody and guardianship of Teddy should neither of them survive the war, and, if something were to happen to me.”

Hermione blinked, a tear falling down her face and Andromeda reached out to wipe it away.

“Not, Harry, but _you_ , Dear. Remus knew that you would love and protect Teddy with every fibre of your being and magic. He knew that as pack, no bond would be as strong as the one you would share with Teddy. Kingsley is aware that should anything happen to me, you are to be granted custody. Remus made it his last wish that Teddy would be taken care of by you should it be necessary. With my illness worsening and my body weakening, I fear that I might not survive and even if I were, without magic I would be unable to protect Teddy and teach him everything he needs to know. I know you have a lot on your plate already with you expecting your own children, but I also know that if anyone can do this, it’s you, Hermione.”

Another tear fell and she brought her hand up to wipe her face with her sleeve.

“Okay,” Hermione sniffled. “But I want you to move in with me.”

“Oh, Dear, we couldn’t possibly intrude,” she said to Hermione.

“You can and you will, it’s not an intrusion. There is more than enough space here for you both; I’ve had contractors in to remodel the cottage ready for the twins coming. You can take Derek’s old room and Teddy can take the room by the nursery. When the time comes and we happen to need more space, I can just call the contractors back. Here I know you’ll both be safe and I can make sure you’re both taken care of.”

“How will your boyfriend feel about this? He lives here, too, does he not?”

“I don’t think he’ll mind too much,” Hermione replied. “I talk about you all the time and I know he wants to meet Teddy. Derek being a werewolf and having lost his pack much like I did, he knows how important the pack bond is. He knows what Teddy is to me and he’ll never deny me the right of being with my pack. It may surprise him but he’ll understand.”

“Where is he?”

“He’s taken Magic for a walk and then he’s going to get lunch. You should go home and pack up so we can get you settled as soon as possible.”

“Dear, I thought about moving, but not in doing so tonight,” Andromeda said amused.

Hermione shrugged. “I really miss Teddy and I know you, you’ll have gotten your affairs sorted long before you told me of your wanting to move over here.”

Andromeda chuckled. “As always, you know me so well. Teddy has been confused as to why I’ve been packing away the other rooms.”

“Well, Derek’s room is fully furnished but if you’d prefer to bring your own furniture that’s your decision, but you’ll have to bring over Teddy’s for his room. While you’re gone I’ll set to changing the colour of the walls and I’ll explain everything to Derek when he gets back.”

“And he won’t mind?”

“He won’t mind, trust me, I know him.”


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 12

“What’s up?” Derek asked her the moment he stepped into the cottage, quickly picking up on the fact that not only had Hermione been crying, but that there was a second unidentifiable scent in the room.

He unclipped the lead from Magic’s collar, placed their lunch on the coffee table and then moved to sit beside Hermione on the couch and she moved closer to him, leaning against him and pressing her ear over his chest as he wrapped an arm around her.

“While you were gone I got a surprise visit from Andy,” she told him. “She came through the floo and she’s the only one to have access.”

“That explains the second scent in the room,” he mused. “What did she want? To visit?”

“No,” she shook her head. “She’ll ill, Derek,” she said quietly. “She was cursed during the war by Bellatrix, she’s Andy’s sister and when Andy married a Muggleborn wizard, she was blasted off the family tree and disowned. When Bellatrix found out that her Half-blood niece married a werewolf, she sent Andy a cursed package. The healers have been able to stop it from spreading for years but now treatment’s failing. The curse is attacking her magic, not only weakening it, but her body, too. She’s losing her magic, Derek, and within a year or two she’ll be a Squib, that’s if she survives it. Magic’s what keeps us alive so it could very well kill her. She never told me, she’s kept it a secret from everyone for years,” she spoke and he felt her tears hitting his t-shirt and leaving damp spots behind and he hugged her tighter to him. “She gave me this,” she said, lifting a letter up for him to see.

The front of the envelope said, ‘Hermione, my fierce cub,’ and he just knew it was from her Alpha.

“It was the last thing he wrote before he died. Remus’ and Tonks’ last wish is that I be granted custody of Teddy should anything happen to them or Andy.”

“And she may be dying?” He said softly.

She nodded. “Please don’t be mad at me,” she whispered, pulling back from him slightly to see his questioning gaze. “Andy told me Teddy’s not been doing well, he’s not the same since I left, and Harry told her that Ginny’s pregnant with their first child. He all but told Andy he wouldn’t be visiting Teddy because he had to look after Ginny,” she said. A growl rumbled in his chest at the news. “Teddy’s too young to understand anything that’s happening, he needs me; they both do. Andy told me that she was thinking of moving to Beacon Hills, she wants me to be close by should anything happen to her.”

“And you told her that they could stay here,” he stated knowingly.

She nodded, sniffled and wiped at her face with her sleeve. “Are you mad at me?”

“No,” he said sincerely. “That kid’s all you have left of your old pack; I understand your need to want him close by, especially if you’re to be his guardian should anything happen to his Grandmother. I imagine it’ll take a little getting used to, but they’re still your family.”

“Thank you,” she told him, snuggling up to him again. “We’ll have to move your stuff into my room, I said Andy could have your old room and Teddy’s moving into the room beside the nursery. When the time comes and it’s needed, I’ll just call the contractors back to see what they can do for us.”

“When are they coming?”

“Today, Andy’s gone home to pack and then she’s coming back with Teddy. She’s already gotten her affairs in order, so I expect them to be here in an hour or two. Given the time difference, Teddy’ll be exhausted so he’ll have to go straight to bed.”

“Come on, then, let’s have lunch and get this place sorted for its new residents.”

~000~000~000~

Hermione heard the floo roar to life and after she put the last of Derek’s t-shirts away, she left her bedroom and made her way to the living room with Derek following behind her after he’d told Magic to stay where he was until he was called for.

“Gran, where are we?” She heard Teddy’s confused voice say and her face pulled into the largest smile Derek had ever seen on her.

Hermione stepped into the living room and caught sight of Teddy’s dull blue hair, making her heart ache for the little child.

“Teddy Bear!” Hermione called.

Teddy’s head whipped around at the sound of her voice, a large smile pulled at his face and his dull blue hair turned vibrant as she was used to seeing it.

“AUNT ‘MIONE!” He cried, and he darted across the room and almost knocked her off her feet before she caught balance and she laughed as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged himself to her tightly. “I missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” she replied, smiling down at him, prying him off her and moving to sit on the armchair and he moved to perch himself on her lap, despite it being difficult with her baby bump being in the way.

“Aunt ’Mione, why’s your tummy so big?” He asked confused.

Hermione smiled at him. “Because I’ve got babies in my tummy.”

“Like Fleur did?”

“Yes, like Fleur did. My tummy’s very big because I’m having two babies at the same time, Fleur only had one.”

A fascinated look crossed his face and he pressed his hands against her stomach, making Derek raise an eyebrow as he leaned against the wall as he gave Hermione space to greet her family, and Andromeda let out a chuckle.

“Is this your house?” Teddy asked, pulling his eyes from her stomach and looking around in wonder.

“Yes, and now it’s your house, too.”

“I don’t get it,” he frowned at her.

She smiled. “Teddy Bear, you and your Grandmother are going to be living with me.”

“Really?” He asked excitedly.

“Really,” she chuckled. “There’s lots of things to do here, remember how went looking for worms and tried to catch butterflies?”

“That was fun,” he nodded.

“Well I live in the middle of the woods, so we can go looking for lots of animals, and I know there’s a playground in the town and you’re going to love it.”

“I really get to see you all the time?”

“Yes, you do.”

He let out an excited sound before reaching up to wrap his arms around her neck and he hugged her tightly, a smile pulled at Derek’s mouth at seeing Hermione so happy, though he was surprised to see that the kid actually did have blue hair and he’d seen it change colour, too. It was one thing to hear about it, it was another to see it. He knew that was going to take some getting used to.

Teddy pulled back from Hermione with a frown on his face.

“What’s wrong, Teddy?” She asked the child.

“You smell different,” he told her, leaning in closer to her to sniff at her neck again before he jumped off Hermione’s lap and bent over to sniff at her stomach. “The babies smell funny,” he commented.

Derek raised an eyebrow. Well, that was certainly interesting, he thought. He knew Hermione had said Teddy could sense other werewolves being nearby and that his senses were stronger than a human’s, but he never thought the child would be able to pick up on his scent being on Hermione, or the babies for that matter, especially when Scott couldn’t.

Teddy stood up and visibly sniffed at the air before he turned around and his green eyes landed on Derek, who was surprised when he saw the little child’s eyes narrowing slightly.

“Aunt ‘Mione, there’s a werewolf here,” he spoke.

Derek admitted that the child impressed him.

“I know, Teddy Bear,” she replied. “This is Derek.”

“Is he a good werewolf or a bad one?” Teddy asked. Teddy was a lot smarter than Derek thought he’d be.

“A good one,” Hermione said, and she gently pushed Teddy aside as he’d been standing in front of her protectively –much to Derek’s surprise and amusement- and she stood from the armchair and crossed over to Derek, taking his hand in hers and she tugged him forward, forcing him to move closer to Teddy before she and Derek sat on the couch.

“Andromeda, Teddy, this is Derek, my boyfriend,” she introduced.

Teddy seemed to have relaxed at the news of Derek not being a bad werewolf and he stepped closer to Derek.

“Like Uncle Harry and Ginny?”

Hermione pulled a face and Derek let out a growl, Teddy didn’t flinch.

“Kind of,” she said.

“I don’t like Ginny, she smells bad,” he said.

Hermione snorted and Derek raised an eyebrow, so Hermione leaned over to whisper in his ear. “Magical werewolves can pick up on emotions, but Teddy can do the same with a person’s aura. He can effectively tell a bad egg from a good one, so he’s a very good judge of character,” she muttered, before pulling back from him.

Teddy was sizing Derek up and Hermione tried to hold back her giggles but failed, especially when Teddy held out his hand for a handshake. Derek raised an eyebrow once more before taking the little boy’s hand and shaking it, a look of surprise pulling at his face when Teddy bent over to sniff at Derek’s hand, then dropping it and stepping back.

“You smell different,” he said, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

“Derek’s a supernatural werewolf; he doesn’t need the full moon to change,” Hermione grinned.

“That’s awesome,” Teddy grinned excitedly. “I like you,” he told Derek.

“I think I’m going to like you, too, Pup,” Derek replied.

Teddy’s grin widened. “You talk funny,” he said and Hermione snorted at him. “You’re the daddy of the babies, I can smell it.”

“Then your nose would be right,” Derek said.

Teddy turned to look at Hermione. “Does he live here?”

“Yes, he does,” she answered.

“I’ve never lived with a werewolf. My daddy was a werewolf,” he told Derek.

“I know, a very good one from what I’ve been told,” Derek answered and Teddy beamed in pride.

“I’m like my mummy, watch,” Teddy instructed before he turned his hair and eye colour to match Derek’s. Derek blinked in surprise before shaking his head.

“That’s cool,” he commented and Teddy’s impossibly large smile widened to the point that it must’ve hurt.

“Come on, then, Teddy Bear, I know it’s past your bedtime and you must be tired, so let’s get your room sorted and get you ready for bed,” Hermione spoke, pushing herself off the couch. Teddy scowled even as he took the hand she held out for him and followed her out of the room.

“Aunt ‘Mione, you said you had a dog,” Teddy said.

“I do, he’s waiting to meet you,” they heard Hermione say before barking and Teddy’s laughs of joy were heard throughout the cottage.

Andromeda stepped forward, finally having the chance to greet Derek properly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dear. Hermione has spoken of you fondly,” she said.

Derek stood from the couch and made to shake her hand but much to his surprise the older woman pulled him into a hug, his eyes widening at the gesture. She chuckled as she pulled back from him.

“Hermione’s told me about you, too,” he replied, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the way she was giving him a once over with her dark eyes, before a knowing smile pulled at her face.

“I hope we’re not intruding,” she said.

Derek shrugged. “Even if you were, which you’re not, it’s Hermione’s house, not mine. She has the say on who can and can’t enter, but I understand her need for you both to be close by.”

“Yes, I imagine you do,” she smiled at him. “And thank you,”

“For?” He asked confused.

“For being the reason she’s smiling again, I have never seen her so happy in her life. Thank you for giving her a pack once again.”

~000~000~000~

**One week later...**

The first week of Andromeda and Teddy living at the cottage flew by a lot quicker than anyone realised and they’d both settled in quickly. Hermione loved having Andromeda to talk to about her pregnancy as she’d gone through it herself, and she loved having Teddy close by and Magic loved following him around, too. Those two were best buddies, even more so than Derek and Magic which Hermione thought adorable.

She would spend time with Andromeda in her library and Teddy would accompany her, Derek and Magic on their daily trek through the woods, running around with Magic and looking for rabbits and birds. Teddy had taken an immediate shine to Derek, often talking to him about magical werewolves and asking questions about supernatural werewolves. Teddy would ask Derek to read to him whether he understood what was being said or not, or he’d snuggle up against Derek’s side and watch TV, something he’d been amazed by since Andromeda didn’t have it in the Wizarding World.

Teddy had even convinced Derek to go walking through the woods when Hermione and Andromeda were in the library and he was bored. Hermione wasn’t surprised to see that Derek seemed to take a liking to the blue-haired child either, seeing little Teddy as a nephew and he’d become very protective of him, almost as much as he was of Hermione.

Teddy had fallen once in the woods and Derek had returned in a foul mood and it hadn’t vanished until Hermione had healed the small cut on the child’s knee. Derek had taken Teddy for his first glimpse of the town, taking him to the park in his car and while Teddy had been nervous having never been in a car before, he’d also been excited and he’d loved being in Derek’s car with him. Hermione had yet to see Derek refuse Teddy anything and if his behaviour with Teddy was anything to go by, she knew he’d be a good father to their babies, too. It was rare to see the two apart but Hermione and Andromeda both thought it adorable. Teddy had a male role model in his life who not only understood him but was there for him, unlike some she refused to think of.

That day Derek had a meeting with an allied pack member and Teddy had wanted to go with him but Hermione wouldn’t allow it, seeing as Derek had a three hour drive to the meeting point and she didn’t want Teddy being too far away from her and she didn’t want Derek to be distracted by Teddy’s questions or his need to stop for the toilet. To placate the child, Hermione had taken Teddy to the park in town allowing Andromeda a day of relaxation and quiet.

They’d spent just over an hour at the park before they’d wandered through the town, Hermione allowing Teddy to choose one toy from the toy shop and then they stopped for lunch at Hermione’s favourite diner, where Teddy tried his first cheeseburger and banana milkshake.

“How is it?” Hermione asked Teddy, laughing when he looked up to her with tomato sauce smudged across his face, and she reached over to wipe it with a napkin.

“It’s my new favourite food,” the little boy told her.

“What about ice-cream?”

He frowned. “Second favourite,” he amended.

“And cake?” She asked amused. His frowned deepened and she chuckled at him, reaching over to ruffle his sandy blonde hair.

She was proud of Teddy for his control over his shifting. They’d already told him the first day he’d been with them that they were in the Muggle World and he wouldn’t be able to use his shifting or talk about magic in front of the muggles, and so far, he was doing really well.

“Hermione?”

Hermione looked up from Teddy and smiled when she spotted Scott and Stiles making their way over to her table. It was the first time she’d seen them since they learned she was dating Derek, pregnant and that she knew about the supernatural and by the looks of things, they didn’t seem to be acting any differently with her.

“Scott, Stiles, free period?”

“Yes,” they both answered and she snorted at them.

“Well, boys, this handsome bear is Teddy,” she said, when she saw the teens eyeing Teddy curiously. “Teddy, this is Scott and Stiles.” They both offered him a smile and a wave. “Do you boys want to join us?”

“Will you answer my questions?” Stiles asked.

“No,” she replied.

He scowled before sliding himself in beside Teddy. “Then maybe Teddy will,” he said, turning to give Teddy an innocent smile. Scott snorted when Teddy looked at Stiles like he was an idiot and he slid himself in beside Hermione. “Teddy, do you know what Hermione can do?”

“I’m five,” he replied. Stiles blinked at him and Hermione snorted.

“That’s nearly older than me,” Stile said. “So, can you tell me Hermione’s secret?”

“I’m not supposed to talk to strangers,” he replied.

Hermione sat back and crossed her arms over her chest while Scott looked at her amused and she shrugged at him.

“I’m not a stranger, I’m Hermione’s friend. So can you can tell me?” He smiled at Teddy.

“You’re weird,” Teddy frowned, leaning away from Stiles slightly. Scott burst out laughing and Hermione chuckled.

“Ah, can’t argue with that,” Stiles shrugged. “So?”

“I like cheeseburgers, do you?”

Stiles blinked slowly before shaking his head. “Yes, who doesn’t like cheeseburgers? If you tell me what I want to know, I’ll buy you an entire stack of them.”

“You’re silly,” Teddy replied. Both Hermione and Scott were thoroughly enjoying Stiles’ failed attempts to get information out of Teddy.

“I’m not silly, I’m smart,” Stiles said. 

Teddy looked at him like he was two sickles short of a galleon. “You’re silly,”

Stiles made a whine-like noise. “Please, _please_ , tell me Hermione’s secret,” he begged the five-year-old.

Scott turned to smirk at Hermione. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time Stiles had been given the run around like the little boy was doing right now. He’d never seen anything like it.

“I’m not allowed to tell you, Aunt ‘Mione said bad things will happen if people find out about us.”

“Us? So you’re like her? Different?” Stiles asked, a triumphant smile crossing his face.

Teddy frowned. “Aunt ‘Mione’s not different, my mummy and daddy were.”

“Now I’m confused,” Stiles frowned, reaching up to scratch his forehead.

“You can’t interrogate me and you can’t interrogate Teddy, he’s too smart for it,” Hermione said proudly.

“Aunt ‘Mione?”

Hermione turned to look at Teddy. “Yes, Teddy Bear?” She questioned with a smile.

He visibly sniffed at the air and looked to Scott with a narrowed gaze; she knew where this was going.

“He’s a werewolf,” he said, pointing to Scott. Both teens’ eyes widened and Hermione snorted before casting a subtle _Silencio_ so no one walking past could hear.

“Yes, Teddy, he is, but he’s a good werewolf like Derek.”

“Okay,” he said nodding, before picking up some fries and going to dip them in the tomato sauce, but he’d eaten it all.

“It’s on the counter, Teddy Bear, go and ask the nice lady to give it to you, and remember to say please and thank you,” she told the little boy.

Without thought, he stood up on the bench and climbed over Stiles before jumping down and running over to the counter. The minute he did so both teens turned to look at her.

“How the hell does he know that? Did you tell him?” Scott asked.

“Of course I didn’t, I don’t need to,” she replied.

“Then how does he know?” Stiles spoke.

“Teddy’s father was a werewolf and while he wasn’t born with lycanthropy himself, he does have better senses and he can tell when other werewolves are nearby, which is how he knew you’re a werewolf. He can also feel if a person’s good or bad, he’s a really good judge of character. There isn’t much you can get past that child. He’d only been with me a few minutes when he told me my babies smelled funny and that he could smell that Derek was the father.”

They both blinked at her in surprise. “How, I can’t smell anything?” Scott said.

She shrugged. “You’re the only one. I’ve met one of Derek’s friends and even he told me I smell like Derek. Derek himself says that me and the twins are smelling more like him each day, which is how I’m surprised you never picked up on the fact that I’m pregnant before you found out, but he says it’s because you haven’t been a werewolf long so you’re still not able to pick up on such scents.”

“Aunt ‘Mione?”

“Yes, Teddy Bear,” she spoke, looking to the little boy as he stood at the end of the table.

“I need the toilet,”

“It’s just over there,” she pointed out the door. “Do you need me to come with you?”

He shook his head, put the bottle of tomato sauce on the table and then walked over to the toilets and through the men’s door.

“Where are his parents?” Stiles asked. “He said ‘were’ not ‘are’.”

Hermione sighed and pushed her hair back from her face. “They both died when Teddy was only a few weeks old. His Grandmother got custody of him but she’s not well so they’ve moved from Britain over to here to be with me, they’re living with me now. If anything happens I’m to be his guardian, hopefully, that doesn’t happen for a long time.”

“Why does he call you Aunt?”

She shrugged. “When I was younger I was a part of his father’s pack despite being human. His father was the Alpha and one of the smartest, kindest people I’d ever met. When his father died the pack bond between us was severed, but Teddy and I can still feel remnants of the bond. Through the pack, I’m his sister, friend, Aunt, Godmother, whatever he needs me to be.” She looked up when she saw Teddy approaching. “Did you wash your hands?”

“Yes, Aunt ‘Mione,” he replied, once more climbing over Stiles to get back to his seat and he poured himself some more tomato sauce onto his plate.

“You have to eat all of it if you want to get ice-cream for dessert.”

“Uncle Derek doesn’t make me eat it all,” he frowned, and the two teens shared looks at Teddy’s reference of the older, broody werewolf.

“Well I’m not Uncle Derek,” she replied.

“Why couldn’t I go with him?”

“Because what he’s doing is dangerous, if the meeting goes bad I don’t want you nearby otherwise you might get hurt.”

“Uncle Derek would protect me,” the child argued.

“He would,” she agreed. “But he’d be so focused on protecting you that he might get hurt himself. Now, eat up all your lunch, we’ll have some ice-cream and this evening we’ll bake some cookies.”

“Chocolate?”

“Of course, that’s the best kind of cookie,” she replied.

Teddy grinned before picking up his burger, dipping it in the sauce and taking a large bite, once more covering his face with the tomato sauce.

~000~000~000~

**One week later...**

Another week past the same as before, and that afternoon Hermione and Teddy had gone into town to do a bit of shopping. Hermione had picked up a few groceries and before heading home, Hermione allowed Teddy loose in the sweet shop. She’d been in there for a few minutes before her nose couldn’t take the smell of the sugar anymore and she moved to stand outside, watching Teddy through the window as one of the shop keepers helped him choose his own sweets. Hermione had already given the young woman the money and told her Teddy could have whatever he could get for the budget he had. Hermione was sure the little bundle of joy would emerge with his pockets overflowing as she’d been quite generous with the amount she’d allowed him to spend.

Hermione chuckled when Teddy darted across the other side of the shop and the young woman struggled to keep up with him as she carried a small basket which was already half-full of sweets.

Feeling a strange presence nearby, Hermione turned her head to search the street, looking for the cause of the presence and she knew she had her answer when she saw a man approaching her from the other side of the street.

He had dark hair and eyes, his nose straight, his goatee was cut short and tidy and his skin pale. She’d say he was around five-foot-eleven height wise and he was wearing a pair of dark jeans, a t-shirt and a brown leather jacket over the top.

When he saw her watching him he put a charming smile on and once he stepped onto her side of the street, he continued walking until he came to a stop in front of her. She knew what he was, a werewolf.

“Can I help you?” She frowned.

He raised an eyebrow at her accent but his charming smile stayed on his face. His eyes lowered to her stomach, widening slightly at her baby bump before they lifted back up, landing on the metal disc that hung around her neck and had shifted into view. He visibly sniffed at the air and his eyes sparked gold for all but a second and his smile grew wider, which honestly frightened her, so she took the smallest step back and shifted her hand into the pocket of her cardigan where her wand was kept.

“I’m sorry; I just saw your necklace from across the street. Do you know Derek Hale?”

“Why do you ask?”

He tilted his head to the side slightly. “I just recognise that marking. You are protected by the Hale Pack?”

“I’m not even going to pretend like I have no idea what you’re talking about, so yes, I know Derek’s a werewolf and I know you’re one, too.” He looked at her curiously. “Why do you wish to know if I know Derek?”

“Forgive me, I’m Jonathon Pierce,” he said, holding his hand out to her and reluctantly she shook his hand and quickly pulled it back from him.

“Hermione Granger,” she replied.

“Pretty name,” he complimented with a smile. “I’m sorry to be so forward, but I can smell...” He gestured down to her stomach and she felt her hand come up to it protectively.

“That’s because Derek’s the father, I’m his girlfriend, and yes, I’m protected by the pack.”

“You must be important to him, I’ve known Derek since he was born and he’s never given a woman the protection of the Hale Pack,” he smiled at her.

“Are you from an allied pack?”

“Of course, I believe Derek and I will be meeting shortly,” he said, but their attention was pulled when Teddy bounded out of the shop excitedly carrying a bag of sweets.

“Aunt ‘Mione, I got lots of chocolate. Does Uncle Derek like sour things?”

“Loves it,” she smiled down at Teddy.

“I bought him lots.”

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate that,” she told him and Teddy’s smile dropped off his face and he sniffed at the air, narrowing his eyes on the man in front of him.

“Aunt ‘Mione, he’s a werewolf,” Teddy said, reaching up to take her hand and he pressed himself against her side. The strange man raised a curious eyebrow.

“I know he is, Teddy Bear. He said he knows Derek.”

“Is he a bad werewolf or a good one?” Teddy asked.

“I’m not sure,” she answered honestly. “Which are you?” She asked the man.

“That depends on who you ask,” he replied. “But I better be going.”

“I’ll be sure to tell Derek you’re in town.”

“Oh, don’t bother, I’m only visiting for the day, I’ll see him soon enough. Have a good day, Hermione, and meeting you was very enlightening,” he smiled at her before he turned and left them alone.

“Aunt ‘Mione?”

“Yes, Teddy?” She spoke, watching as the man rounded the corner and disappeared from view.

“I don’t like that man.”

“I’m not sure I do either,” she said, before shaking her head. “Come on then, let’s get home.”

“Do you think Uncle Derek will go looking for rabbits with me?”

“I’m sure he will, Teddy Bear, now let’s go. We need to see if Magic’s drove your Grandmother crazy.”


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 11

Later that evening found Derek arriving home from completing his errands not long after Hermione and Teddy, and dinner had been prepared. After the four residents of the cottage sat down and ate together as a family, Teddy had all but begged Derek to go rabbit hunting with him and much to Hermione’s amusement, he hadn’t even tried to tell the little boy ‘no’ despite her knowing Derek was tired. She had yet to see him refuse the blue-haired boy anything.

Teddy and Derek didn’t return until it started to get dark when he convinced Teddy that it was bedtime and he was in bed ten minutes later. Andromeda called it a day, too, so Hermione and Derek decided to follow their example and go to bed, but just as Hermione had gotten herself comfortable and Derek climbed in beside her, there was a knock on the bedroom door and it was pushed open to reveal Teddy.

“What’s wrong, Teddy Bear?” Hermione asked the sleepy-looking child.

“Uncle Derek hasn’t read me a story,” he told her with a frown.

She and Derek shared an amused look, it was their nightly routine as of nearly two weeks ago and now Teddy refused to sleep if Derek didn’t read him a bedtime story first. Derek threw the covers off himself and climbed out of bed.

“Come on then, Pup, but you’re going straight to sleep when we’re done, it’s already past your bedtime,” He said, putting his hands on Teddy’s shoulders and pushing him out of the room and back to his own bedroom.

Hermione only had to wait ten minutes until Derek returned, shutting the door behind him and climbing into bed, pulling her against him and wrapping his arm around her.  
“He fell asleep a few pages in and Magic’s asleep on the end of his bed,” he said. Hermione chuckled and shook her head lightly. “Why does he call me ‘Uncle Derek?’” He asked. “And he calls you ‘Aunt’ too, instead of just saying your name.”

“It’s his way of showing us how important we are to him,” she explained. “With everyone else, he’ll just call them by their name, but by putting ‘Uncle’ or ‘Aunt’ in front of our names, it’s him telling us that he sees us as family, pack. He doesn’t do it with any of the Weasleys despite the fact he likes the majority of them. He refuses to do so with Ginny or Ron, and she hates it,” she said, sounding smug and he chuckled at her. “So, Teddy calling you ‘Uncle Derek’ is him saying you’re his family, his pack and he loves you.”

Derek made a humming sound as he turned his head to place a kiss against her forehead. “I think we should enrol Teddy in school.” He felt Hermione’s unease in the way her body tensed. “Hermione, I understand that he’s different and it’d be a risk to have him in public and with hundreds of witnesses to his shifting or magic, or that something might happen and he’d say something he’s not supposed to, but I think we should take that risk. It’s all well and good that he spends his time outdoors in the woods and with us, but he’s with us twenty-four-seven. He needs to be around children his own age. He needs some independence and to make friends. He’s a smart kid and he knows that he can’t shift or talk about magic so I think we should trust him with this responsibility. I know that he’ll go off to magic school when he turns eleven, but I think this could be good for him. He might even really like it.”

“Derek, it’s a big risk. He’s already displaying signs of magic, you saw him accidentally levitate the coffee table and set fire to one of the couch cushions. His emotions are tied into his outbursts much like mine are, only he doesn’t have a wand to help conduct the flow of magic in his body, which makes him volatile and prone to outbursts.”

“I know that, but maybe he’s lonely. Having friends his own age will allow him to develop relationships and it may even help to prepare him for when he goes off to school. I know everything will be different, but at least he’ll understand the routine of school and he’ll have a better understanding of how to form relationships. I know you don’t want to let him out of your sight and that’s your mothering-wolf instincts kicking in, but I really think this will do him some good and it’ll give him a distraction.”

“Distraction?” She frowned.

“He’s a very smart kid, Hermione. Don’t tell me you think he’s clueless to what’s going on?” She looked up at him with a confused look on her face. “He’s not stupid, he knows something’s not right with Andy. He knows there’s a reason he’s been moved here with us, he might be young but he understands a lot more than you give him credit for. Going to school will give him a distraction from what’s going on here and it’ll allow him to better understand this world. Besides, it’ll be suspicious when people start noticing that we’ve got a five-year-old attached to our hips and he’s not at school.”

She bit her lip and appeared thoughtful. “I don’t like it,”

“I didn’t think you would,” he said.

“But I can understand your reasoning, so I’ll talk to Andy about it and see what she thinks before we mention it to Teddy,” she spoke and he nodded. She shifted away from him to get more comfortable and he moved to lie beside her on his side, propping his head up with his hand and elbow and he pressed his other hand against her stomach.

“Ready for tomorrow?” He asked.

“I’m nervous,” she admitted.

“Melissa’s doing the scan, she’s had it arranged and she knows the reasoning behind your wolf traits possibly making an appearance.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about. You know my magic’s wonky and volatile, even if I wasn’t pregnant there’s a high chance of my magic rendering the equipment useless or it short-circuiting.”

“Nothing happened last time,” he shrugged his shoulders.

“Exactly, so it could very well this time.”

“If it happens we’ll deal with it then, there’s no use in worrying now, you’re just going to stress yourself out and that’s something we want to avoid.”

“I know,” she sighed. “I’ll be glad when it’s all over, I can’t wait until the babies are born.”

“You and me both,” he muttered, lowering his head to nuzzle at her neck.

“There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

Sensing her trepidation he pulled back to look at her. “Alright, what is it?”

She bit her lip before shaking her head. She knew she had to tell him, her instincts had never let her down and Teddy’s words had been niggling at her.

“When Teddy and I were in town today, someone approached me. I felt him watching me and before he even came over to me I knew he was a werewolf.” Derek stiffened beside her and the look on his face told her to continue talking. “He asked if I knew you, he said he could smell the babies were yours, so he obviously knew you well enough to know your scent. He said I must be important to you because you’ve never given a woman the protection of your pack, and he said he’s known you since you were born.”

“What’s his name?” He asked, a rumble coming from his chest and he shifted her closer to him.

“Jonathon Pierce,” she answered.

He frowned. “I don’t know that name.”

“He said he was an allied pack member and he would be seeing you soon.”

“I suppose it’s possible he’s a member of an allied pack, not every pack is made up of family members or has the same name.”

She shrugged. “I just thought I should tell you, he was adamant that I not mention my meeting with him to you.”

“There’s something you’re not telling me, what is it?”

She sighed. “You know me too well,” she muttered and shook her head. “I just didn’t get a good feeling from him, and to make matters worse, Teddy came out of the shop and immediately picked up on him being a werewolf. When he left Teddy told me he didn’t like him.”

Derek frowned. “I don’t like the sound of that,” Derek said.

When Hermione had told him about Teddy’s ability to tell a good person from a bad one, he believed her, after all, he didn’t like Hermione’s ex-boyfriend or his sister, and he knew they were both awful people so he promised himself to take Teddy’s warnings seriously.

“Until we know who he is I don’t want you going anywhere by yourself, I want you to always be with someone, even if it’s Teddy or Scott and Stiles.”

Despite her annoyance at his words, she nodded, seeing no point in arguing. Even if she didn’t agree with him, she knew he just wanted to protect her and the babies.

“And when we’re done at the hospital we’ll make a detour to the Sheriff’s Station, there’s something I want to check.”

“Alright, and I’ll talk to Andy about Teddy going to school in the morning.”

“We’ve got a busy day tomorrow so we should probably get some sleep,” Derek said.

Hermione nodded. “We should,”

“But?” Derek raised an eyebrow.

“But I can’t stop thinking about chocolate milkshakes,” she sighed.

~000~000~000~

“Uncle Derek?”

Derek’s eyes opened slowly, blinking in the darkness of the room until his night vision kicked in. He looked to see Hermione sleeping peacefully beside him and when he heard the quiet voice again, he lifted his head to see Teddy stood in the doorway and Magic was sat by his side obediently. He turned his head to the alarm clock on the bedside table, seeing it to be not long after three o’clock in the morning.

“What is it, Pup?” Derek asked, his voice groggy from sleep.

Teddy shuffled on his feet nervously. “I had a bad dream, can I sleep with you?”

Derek eyed the child carefully, seeing that whatever he’d dreamed about had truly frightened him and he remembered from his own childhood that the only thing that could help him sleep after a nightmare was climbing into his mother’s bed.

“Come on then,” he said quietly, not wanting to wake Hermione.

Derek made to shuffle closer to Hermione to make more room behind him for Teddy, only much to his amusement, the child climbed onto the bed, pushed Derek aside and situated himself in-between him and Hermione, lying down and burrowing under the covers. Derek noticed that despite Teddy jostling Hermione’s monster of a cat and waking him, he didn’t receive a glare; it seemed the ugly fur-ball only reserved those for him. After Magic had jumped up onto the bed and curled up in a ball next to Crookshanks, Derek laid back down and got himself comfortable.

“Alright, now go to sleep, your Aunt and I have to be up early.”

Teddy nodded and closed his eyes and Derek waited a few minutes before allowing himself to fall back to sleep, and just as he was dozing off, he was woken by a quiet voice.

“Uncle Derek?”

“Pup?” He mumbled.

“Did Aunt ‘Mione tell you about the strange man?”

Derek’s eyes opened and he found himself wide awake at the question. “Yes, why?”

“Good, I don’t like him,” Teddy said. “He smelled bad.”

“Bad? Bad like Ginny?”

Teddy shook his head. “No, badder. He scared me,” Teddy whispered.

“Pup, was your bad dream about the man?” Derek asked. Teddy nodded slowly and Derek felt the child shift closer to him. “You know I won’t let anyone hurt you or your Aunt, right?”

“I know,” Teddy said quietly. “You’re an Alpha; you protect the pack, like my daddy did. My daddy died when I was a baby.”

“Mine did, too, Pup.”

“My mummy’s dead.”

“Mine too.”

“You’re like me,” Teddy muttered. “I’ve never had a daddy before.”

“Me either,” Derek sighed, feeling sleep beginning to claim him.

“Uncle Derek?”

“Hmm?” Derek hummed questioningly.

“Will you be my daddy?”

Derek’s eyes flew open, he forgot how to breathe and he almost choked. He took a deep breath to calm himself.

“Do you want me to be?” He asked the little boy cautiously.

Teddy nodded. “I think you’re a good daddy.”

“If you want me to be, then I will be.”

“Can I call you daddy?”

“If you want to,” he replied.

“Do you think Aunt ‘Mione will be my mummy?”

“I know she will be; she loves you.”

“Can I call her that?” He asked.

“If you want to, but she’ll probably cry; the babies had her crying because the bar of soap she bought was the wrong colour,” Derek said.

Teddy giggled before he turned on his side to face away from him. “Night, Daddy.”

Derek would swear to every deity there was that his heart just melted into goo and he felt warmth fill him. So, that’s what it felt like to be called that by a child. From that feeling alone he could understand why parents couldn’t wait for their children to start talking.

“Night, Pup,” he said quietly before they both fell asleep.

Unknown to him, Hermione had been awake and silently listening in to his conversation with Teddy, and tears fell down her face and she had a smile on her mouth.

~000~000~000~

When Derek next woke it was to sunlight seeping through the window, the loud snores of a blue-haired little boy, and to see Hermione sat up in bed and watching him with tears in her eyes.

He sat up quickly, being careful not to wake the little boy beside him and he looked at her worriedly.

“What’s wrong?” He asked quickly.

She sniffled and shook her head. “Nothing,” she said, her voice strained as she tried to hold back her tears.

He frowned. “Obviously there is,” he replied. She shook her head. “Tell me.”

She shook her head once more before she climbed out of bed and left the room, and after he made sure Teddy was covered with the blanket and sleeping soundly, he quickly followed after her, stopping her in the living room.

“Hermione, what’s wrong?”

She shook her head and tears escaped from her eyes.

“I need you to tell me,” he said seriously. “My wolf’s getting rattled.”

She gave a sniffle, looked up at him before the dam burst and she broke out into sobs, clinging to him tightly and burying her face against his t-shirt, her tears soaking the fabric. Derek felt worry fill him as he wrapped his arms around her, rubbed comforting circles on her back, made rumbling sounds in his chest and he tried to understand what she was mumbling but couldn’t for her sobs, so he was forced to wait until she’d calmed herself down enough for him to make any sense of her.

“What’s wrong?” He asked again, bringing his hands up to cradle her red face and looking into her puffy eyes. He hated seeing her sad.

She sniffled. “I just...” She burst into tears again and buried her face back against his chest.

Derek wrapped his arms around her again and moved over to the couch, pulling into his lap and holding her against him until she quieted once more.

“Try again,” he told her. “Remember, we made a pinky promise to be honest with each other. You can’t break a pinky promise, it’s a serious oath.”

She sniffled, her mouth tugged at the corners and she took a deep breath to calm herself, wiping her face with the backs of her hands.

“Yes, it is,” she agreed.

“Come on then, I’m waiting.”

“I just...” She trailed off, looking away from him and down at the ground.

“Just?” He prompted, and he brought his hand to her face and gently made it so she was looking at him again, but she lowered her eyes. “You know you can tell me anything. So, you just?”

She took a deep breath. “Te amo,” she whispered.

“What?” He said dumbly.

Slowly she lifted her eyes to lock with his, seeing him looking at her in surprise.

“Te quiero mucho,”

His eyes widened and his lips parted slightly as he sucked in a lungful of air. He hadn’t been expecting that. He’d come to terms with the fact he was in love with her and he had been for weeks. How could he not be? She was smart and witty, and beautiful and a pain in the ass when she had cravings at odd times of the day, and she demanded that he get her what she wanted because it was ‘his super sperm that had knocked her up, not with just one baby, but two’. She was kind and understanding and she calmed his wolf, brought him peace, give him a pack, and she was the mother of his babies, so of course, he loved her.

He just hadn’t said anything to her, not because he was afraid of being the first one to say it or he was afraid of being rejected, he just didn’t want to overwhelm her and make her feel as though she had to say it back if she didn’t mean it. He was waiting for a sign that her feelings for him were deeper than attraction and she hadn’t been acting any differently lately, so he just assumed those feelings weren’t there for her, so it was a surprise for him to hear those words, and in Spanish, too. He didn’t even know she spoke Spanish.

“Tu hablas Español?” He said.

“Estoy aprendiendo para ti,” she replied.

He blinked in surprise. “Estas lleno de sorpresas. Eres la mujer perfecta, Pequeña Bruja,”

“I have no idea what you just said,” she spoke.

He shook his head and his eyes bore in her teary ones. “Te amo,”

“What?” She said dumbly, blinking slowly.

He chuckled at her. “Te amo,” he repeated.

“You do?” She whispered.

“Sí,” he nodded.

She left out a breath and sagged against him. “Gracias, Merlín,” she sighed.

He chuckled at her and lowered his head until he pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth.

“You really got so worked up over that?” He asked her, glad to see that her eyes were losing some of their puffiness and her face some of the redness.

She shrugged. “Couple my feelings with my hormones and that’s what you get, and I heard you with Teddy.”

“You did?”

She nodded, feeling tears welling up in her eyes again. “It made me realise how much I love you,” she told him. “You’re going to be so good for him, I’ve already seen a difference in him, as has Andy, she told me the other day she’s never seen Teddy behave the way he does with you. He’s closer to you in two weeks, than he's been with Harry in five years.”

“I understand him,” he shrugged.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Derek. You don’t just understand him, you encourage him to be who he is, not to hide that part of himself away. You don’t try to stop him from being who he is, you embrace it and he’s grown so much emotionally and in confidence in the little time he’s been here and it’s because of you. Harry gave him presents; you gave him love and acceptance, and that’s why Teddy loves you, that’s why he asked you to be his father. He’s never asked that of Harry, not even once. You don’t realise how special you are, to me, to the babies, to Teddy. To your pack. Teddy’s right, you’re eyes might not show it, but you’re an Alpha and a damn good one, too. And to be honest, I much prefer your blue eyes over red ones. You might not have the power of an Alpha, but you’re our Alpha, and we love you for it. I love you for it.”

~000~000~000~

“Hello, Hermione, Derek,” Melissa McCall greeted with a smile as she met Hermione and Derek in the waiting area, her eyes falling down to the sandy-haired boy beside Derek and holding his hand. Her eyes moved back to Hermione when she heard her sniffle and Melissa noticed that she’d been crying. She looked to Derek questioningly.

A smile played at his lips. “Teddy called her ‘mommy’ for the first time,” he explained, his smiled widening when Hermione burst into tears again and covered her face with her hands as he pulled her into him and wrapped his free arm around her.

Melissa blinked in surprise. “Adoption?”

“Kind of, but not quite,” Derek shrugged, confusing her.

“It’s the babies, Daddy said they make her cry ‘coz her soap’s the wrong colour,” Teddy spoke up.

Melissa blinked in surprise again when Derek’s smile widened, but she shook her head breaking out of her shock and she laughed at the little boy.

“Yes, babies in mommies tummies can do that,” she said. “So you must be the Teddy my Scott told me about,” she smiled down at him.

Teddy nodded. “Scott’s a werewolf.” She didn’t look surprised by his knowledge so Derek assumed Scott had already told her about Teddy. “I like him.”

“I know he likes you, too. He said you’re very smart.”

Teddy stood taller. “His weird friend asked lots and lots of questions, I didn’t tell him anything,” he said proudly. Melissa chuckled and Derek snorted.

“That makes you very, very smart, not a lot of people can do that.” She turned to look at Hermione, seeing that she’d calmed down now. “Shall we see what’s going on with the little ones?”

Hermione nodded and the little group followed Melissa through the halls and to an examination room, where Hermione went through the routine of shifting her clothing, having cold gel put on her skin and the scanner running over her stomach.

“Does twenty-one weeks sound right?” Melissa asked. Hermione nodded. “Well, I can’t see any issues, everything looks fine. Do you want to know the sexes?”

Hermione and Derek nodded so fast Melissa couldn’t help but chuckle. She spent a good ten minutes trying to discover the gender of the twins, but unfortunately, no matter what she did, they weren’t cooperating with them either facing the wrong way or wriggling about too much.

It was safe to say Hermione left the hospital in a mood and she fumed silently as Derek drove her SUV to the Sheriff’s Station.

They all stepped out of the car and Derek led the way into the station, ignoring the other deputies that were eyeing Hermione, her stomach and Teddy curiously and he knocked on the Sheriff’s door before walking in without waiting for a response.

“Please, come in,” Sheriff Stilinski said sarcastically as he looked up from his desk.

Hermione wasn’t sure whether she should be surprised that Scott and Stiles were both sat on the couch in the room. It was a Saturday but why they’d be there was a mystery to her. They looked just as surprised to see her, especially when they caught sight of Derek holding Teddy’s hand, and the little boy waved at the teens in greeting and sent them a large smile.

“I need your help with something,” Derek said.

The sheriff frowned. “You said you’d handle the supernatural,” he replied, nodding to Hermione.

“It’s not a case, I just need a favour,” Derek said, and something in his voice and his eyes had the sheriff sitting forward and crossing his arms on his desk.

“What is it?”

“I need you to gather as much information as you can on a Jonathon Pierce.”

“Why?”

“He approached Hermione in town yesterday. He’s a werewolf and claimed to know me and be a member of an allied pack, but I don’t recognise the name.”

“I don’t like him,” Teddy said, shifting closer to Derek’s side and the sheriff looked down at him curiously.

“You don’t?” He asked Teddy as though he knew.

She sent a look to the two teens and they smiled sheepishly. It seemed they were rubbish at keeping information to themselves and she rolled her eyes; she should’ve known.

“No,” he shook his head, frowning deeply. “He smelt bad. Badder than Ginny.”

“Who?” Three voices asked confused.

“My ex-boyfriend’s sister, the red-headed bitch,” Hermione explained.

Teddy gasped. “You said a bad word,” he told her.

“No, I didn’t, Teddy Bear. A bitch is a girl dog, it’s perfect for her.”

He frowned, the other three looked confused and Derek looked to be struggling to contain his amusement.

“That’s the babies talking,” he said.

“No, the babies talking would be me saying I wanted to rip the she-demon’s throat out with my teeth.”

“That one’s got nothing to do with the babies; that’s all you,” he spoke, and when he looked at her his eyes flashed blue, his wolf coming to the surface for a small moment.

“Right,” the sheriff spoke, getting them back on topic. “You think he’s a bad man?” He asked Teddy.

Teddy nodded. “He gave me bad dreams, he scared me. I don’t like him.”

The sheriff gave Teddy a soft smile, reminding her of the fact he was a father himself and his teenage son had once been Teddy’s age.

“We’re not gonna let anyone hurt you,” he said.

“I know, Daddy will protect us,” he said.

Noises of surprise were heard and Stiles appeared to be choking on his breath while Scott thumped him on the back and stared between the three of them.

“Sheriff, if Teddy says this guy’s bad, then he is. I didn’t get a good feeling from him either and my instincts are on point, not only from the wolf traits I’m suffering with, but from the fact I’m a war veteran.”

“You are?” The three humans asked together, looking her up and down.

“Yes, and stop staring.”

“My mummy and daddy died in the war,” Teddy spoke up, plunging the room into silence. “But it’s okay, I got a new mummy and daddy,” he grinned up at Hermione and Derek and they both smiled down at him.

The sheriff cleared his throat. “Right, Jonathon Pierce, a bad guy and a potential threat to you and your pack?”

“That’s it,” Derek nodded.

“I’ll need a day or two to see what I can find.”

“I’ll come by on Monday.”

“Derek?”

He turned his head to look at Hermione, seeing the sheepish smile on her face he knew what was coming.

“What?” He asked, trying to stop a smile from pulling at his mouth.

“I really want a chocolate milkshake.”

________________________________________

Courtesy of Google Translator

Te amo – I love you  
Te quiero – I really love you / I love you very much  
Tu hablas Español? – You speak Spanish?  
Estoy aprendiendo para ti – I’m learning for you  
Estas lleno de sorpresas. Eres la mujer perfecta, Pequeña Bruja – You’re full of surprises, you’re the perfect woman, Little Witch.  
Sí? – Yes  
Gracias – Thank you


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

“How’d it go, Dears?” Andromeda asked as they stepped into the cottage and Magic bounded over to them, barking loudly.

He barely spared Hermione and Derek a glance before he was jumping up at Teddy and given his growth spurt, Magic was easily bigger than the small child when standing on his back legs. Teddy laughed loudly and fell back onto the armchair as Magic jumped up, draped himself over the small child and licked his face. The three adults watched with smiles and chuckles before Derek pulled the much larger dog off of Teddy before he crushed him with his weight and they both ran out of the room, Teddy’s laughter and Magic’s barking echoing through the cottage.

Hermione’s scowl made an appearance as she sat on the armchair with her arms crossed. 

“It didn’t,” she said grumpily.

Andromeda looked to Derek confused as he slipped off his leather jacket and hung it up on the nearby coat stand.

“The babies are both fine, but we weren’t able to find out the genders, they weren’t cooperating during the scan so Hermione’s in a mood,” he explained.

“I’m not in a mood,” she denied. “Why would I be? It’s not as if I’ve been waiting for this day for over five months, it is?”

He held his hands up in surrender. “Not my fault, blame the babies, they’re the ones that wanted to play hide and seek, not me.”

“It is your fault.”

“How is my fault?” He asked her.

“They’re your babies,” she said.

“They’re half yours, too,” he replied.

“No, it’s your super sperm that knocked me up, it’s your fault.”

“Here we go again,” he rolled his eyes, dodging the cushion she threw at his head and Andromeda did her best to hide her chuckles but ultimately failed.

“Dear, if you would like I can cast the Gender Reveal Charm for you,” Andromeda said.

Hermione blinked slowly. “The what?” She frowned.

“Gender Reveal Charm,” she repeated.

“Oh bloody hell,” Hermione sighed, burying her face in her hands. 

“You didn’t know there was such a thing?” Andromeda asked. Hermione grumbled and lifted her face from her hands while Derek looked amused.

“No, I didn’t. I know there’s a potion but I’m allergic to the ginger spice they use as an ingredient, which is why I agreed to the scan.”

“Oh, Dear,” Andromeda shook her head and chuckled. “The charm was invented even before I was born and was used within the Pureblood families until it became known to the public in the nineties.”

“And it’s accurate?” She asked.

“One hundred percent,” Andromeda nodded.

“And it’s safe?”

“Completely, for both you and the babies,” she said.

Hermione looked over to Derek and he shrugged his shoulders. “Your decision,”

Hermione sighed before nodding. Andromeda stood from her place sat on the couch and closed the distance between her and Hermione, pulling her wand from her robes and gently pressing the tip against Hermione’s stomach. 

“Any guesses before I cast the spell?” 

“Boys,” Hermione said. 

“Girls,” Derek spoke. 

“Let’s see,” Andromeda smiled before she muttered under her breath and she pulled the wand away from Hermione and two balls of white light hovered in the air as she stepped back. 

They all watched the orbs of white light carefully, not taking their eyes off them until the first one changed colour, blue. They had a son. Hermione and Derek shared a look before they turned back to the second orb of light until that changed colour, too. Pink. They had a daughter. They were both right. Tears welled in Hermione’s eyes before they rolled down her face and she pushed herself up from the armchair and crossed over to Derek who took her in his arms and hugged her to him.

“One of each,” he muttered.

She cried into him and nodded her head against his chest. “One of each, you know what this means, right?”

“What?”

“I’m going to have to find a bloody unisex colour that I like for the nursery and there’s no chance of matching outfits now.”

He snorted at her. “Well, at least you’ve got your priorities in order.” She slapped at his arm. “And there’s no chance of getting them mixed up.”

“I’d be worried if someone did,” she muttered.

Derek pulled back from her slightly with a frown on his face.

“Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” She asked confused and pulling back from him altogether.

“That noise,” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she frowned.

A sudden crash sounded in the cottage which was followed by barking and the three adults looked to each other.

“Now that I heard,”

Hermione sighed. “Teddy, Magic!” She called. “What in the name of Merlin are you breaking now!”

“Nothing,” a voice called back and it was followed by a bark, as if Magic was agreeing with him. 

Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose and sent a scowl to Derek who was barely containing his laughter before she stalked through the cottage and to the blue-haired boy’s bedroom. She pushed the door open to see Teddy on the ground and pushing the broken pieces of his bed under the chest of drawers, where the mattress had broken through the wooden slabs holding it up. Hermione put her hands on her hips and felt Derek and Andromeda step up behind her.

“What are you doing?”

Teddy startled so much he fell backwards on his bum, his eyes widened when he saw her and he scrambled back onto his feet with Magic sat beside him, the both of them looking guilty. 

“Nothing,” Teddy replied. 

“So you didn’t break your bed and tried to hide the evidence?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No, it wasn’t us, I swear,” the little boy said.

“Then who was it, Teddy?”

“Crookshanks, he’s fat.”

Hermione sent a glare over her shoulder when Derek burst out laughing before she turned back to the two culprits.

“Crookshanks went hunting for mice, he’s not even here.”

“He came back,”

“Crookshanks came back, broke your bed and then left again so you would get in trouble?”

“Yes, I told him not to do it, but he wouldn’t listen.”

“Really, here’s what I think happened. You and Magic were jumping on the bed, it broke and you didn’t want us to know you’d been jumping on your bed when we told you it wasn’t strong enough to hold the weight, so you tried to hide the evidence and blame Crookshanks. Does that sound about right?” Hermione asked the blue-haired boy.

“It wasn’t my fault, Magic wanted to jump on the bed, I told him not to but he wouldn’t listen,” Teddy said.

Derek’s laughter only doubled when Magic let out a strange sound and then he looked up at Teddy with a look of betrayal on his face, and Hermione sent him out of the room, his laughter echoing through the cottage.

~000~000~000~

“He still asleep?” Hermione asked Derek, looking up from her book as she lounged on the bed.

“Yeah, I’ve just checked on him, he and Magic are both out for the count,” he replied, moving into the room and getting himself ready for bed. He pulled his t-shirt off and then looked to Hermione with a raised eyebrow when he felt her eyes on him. “What?”

She bit her lip nervously. “I wanted to talk to you about something. It’s been bothering me for a while so I decided to do a little research and I want to discuss my findings with you.”

“Alright, now you’ve got my attention,” he said, moving to climb on the bed and sitting beside her.

She put her book down on the bedside table to give him her full attention. “Well, it’s about how I’m pregnant actually.”

“I think we both know how you’re pregnant,” he replied.

She scowled at him and slapped at his arm. “Fine, not how I’m pregnant, but _why_. I never understood it to be honest.”

“It happens,” he shrugged. “Condoms aren’t one hundred percent effective.”

“They’re not,” she agreed. “But my contraceptives are.”

“You’ve lost me,” he frowned in confusion.

“I was on the Contraceptive Potion when we met, and I know it’s one hundred percent effective because I brewed it myself. I just saw no point in telling you I was on contraceptives. So not only did I fall pregnant, but I did so with two forms of protection. When I say your super sperm knocked me up, I mean it.”

“So you’re saying you should’ve never fallen pregnant?”

“Yes, but I did, which is what I couldn’t understand and after we started dating, little things kept niggling at me and I knew I couldn’t let it go, so I started a research project which is one of the reasons why I’ve been in the library so much, especially with Andy, she’s been giving me some insight on things I didn’t know myself.”

“And that is?”

“I don’t want you to freak out,”

“I’m not going to freak out.”

She sighed. “Fine, do you believe in fate?”

“I don’t know, why?”

“You know how it’s said wolves mate for life?” She asked and he nodded, wondering where she was going with the question. “Well, it’s true, especially with magical werewolves. Each werewolf has a life or wolf-mate and more often than not, they’re human. Unfortunately, a werewolf can only find true happiness with their mate and it’s rare for them to do so. Statistics show that only five percent of the werewolf population find their mates. A werewolf’s mate is essentially the other half of their soul, the one thing they can’t live without once they’ve been found. They’re protective of the other, they understand each other and they know that they belong to each other. Tonks wasn’t just Remus’ wife; she was his mate which makes Teddy a product of their bond. For a werewolf to have children is uncommon because female werewolves are infertile due to the full moon transformation and if they do fall pregnant, they’ll miscarry within the first three months. This is why most werewolves increase their numbers by biting others. Male werewolves can have children but only with their human mates.”

“I understand everything you’ve just said, but I don’t understand what that’s got to do with us?”

She sighed and pushed her hair back from her face. “Derek, I don’t have to tell you our relationship’s strange, at least it was in the beginning. I understand that you’re a different kind of werewolf and therefore there would be differences between you and Remus, and that’s why I’ve been speaking with Andy, not only have I noticed some strange behaviours, but she has too, and she said they’re similar to Remus’ behaviour when Tonks was pregnant with Teddy.”

“And?”

“You’re protective of me, but as you said yourself, it’s not just because I’m pregnant with your babies, it’s because you care about me. You’re always nuzzling at my neck.”

“You smell nice,” he shrugged.

“To your wolf I do, everyone else just smells my perfume, even Scott can’t smell anything different about me, but not only do you nuzzle at me, you always do it in the same spot.”

“Right? It’s where your scent’s the strongest.”

“That may be but it’s not the only reason you do that. Magical werewolves mark their mates with a bite, some on the neck, some on the wrists and some on the thighs. I know Remus marked Tonks on her right wrist.”

“I still don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me.”

“Derek, do you not think it’s strange how we came together? I have my final meeting with my new bosses and I meet a stranger in a bar. We sleep together, both contraceptives fail and I find out I’m pregnant. Once I’ve completed my move to Beacon Hills, I discover the father to not only be a werewolf but to live in Beacon Hills, too. We meet for the second time in the woods at your old house, which just happens to be not far from my cottage which you used to play in as a child. You feel so worried and protective over me that you can’t sleep unless you’re under the same roof as me, so you moved in with me. We discover we both have an attraction for each other and we start dating until we admit we love each other. Your behaviour towards me is similar to that of a mated magical werewolf.”

He blinked several times, trying to process her words. “Are you saying that you think we’re, what? Mates?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “There’s no evidence to suggest supernatural werewolves do or don’t have them, but your behaviour would suggest that it’s possible. I was around Remus for years, and I saw his behaviour towards Tonks even before they married and had Teddy. I know that your behaviour is similar to his. I believe in fate, Derek, after all the things I’ve been forced to witness I can’t not believe in it. Our circumstances have always puzzled me. Just think about it, you’re protective of me not only because of the babies, not only because you care for me, but because you feel as though I belong to you. You feel as though I’m yours, don’t you?”

He frowned, realising she was right. He did feel that. Everything between them felt right and as though it was just meant to be. As though they were meant to be together.

“Your wolf likes the way I smell because he knows I’m yours, and you nuzzle at my neck because it’s where you want to mark me. You want to bite me, don’t you? Not to change me, just so other wolves know that I belong to you.”

His frown deepened. He _did_ want to bite her; he couldn’t stop thinking about it. But he didn’t want to bite her to change her, to make her like him; he just wanted to mark her.

“I told you about Ronald, he sabotaged my Contraception Potions for a year and I didn’t know, I was effectively having unprotected sex for a year and I didn’t fall pregnant, yet we spend one night together and I fall pregnant with twins. Do you not think that’s odd?”

“I suppose so,” he replied thoughtfully.

“I’m not saying that I _am_ your mate, just that it could be possible since your behaviour’s similar to that of a mated male wolf.”

“And if we are, how do we know? How does it affect us?”

“If you mark me and the bite heals but scars, or if another woman shows interest in you but it makes you physically feel sick or if you kiss another woman and it literally feels as though you’re being stabbed in the heart, it means we are. And it won’t really affect us in the way you might think, it just means that you’re it for me and I’m it for you. It won’t physically affect us; we’ll continue to be the way we are now. And it can’t influence your emotions either; everything you feel is all you, I’m just putting that out there. I’ve met a mated couple who actually hated each other.”

“Okay,”

“You’re taking this a lot better than I thought you would,” she commented surprised.

He shrugged his shoulders. “If we are or aren’t mates, you’re still the mother of my children and I still love you.”

“Where are you going?” She asked him when he climbed off the bed and made for the door.

“You want a chocolate milkshake, right?”

“How’d you know that?” She frowned.

“I know you,” he shrugged his shoulders.

~000~000~000~

“I haven’t done anything, I swear,” Teddy spoke, sitting at the kitchen table while Hermione and Derek sat opposite him.

“Not yet you haven’t,” Hermione replied. “But it’s barely three o’clock so there’s plenty of time,”

Derek snorted at her, knowing it was true. “Teddy, we know you haven’t done anything wrong, we just wanted to talk to you about something,” he told the blue-haired child, and Teddy seemed to relax in his seat. “Hermione and I have been talking, and we think it would be a good idea if you went to school.”

Teddy frowned. “School? I’m not old enough.”

“Not to Hogwarts, Teddy Bear, to Muggle School.”

“With other muggle kids?” Teddy asked.

“Yes, with other children your own age,” Derek nodded. “You’ll get to make lots of new friends and you’ll learn more about this world.”

“But what if I say something about magic?”

“You won’t, you’re very smart and I’m very proud of you for your control over your shifting,” Hermione told him and Teddy sat up taller in his chair. “And even if you did say something about magic and werewolves, no one would believe you. As long as you don’t do any shifting, you’ll be fine.”

“But I won’t get to see you if I’m at school,” he said sadly.

“You’ll still see us every day,” Derek said. “We’ll take you to school and pick you when you’re finished, and we can still take Magic for walks and go looking for rabbits and birds, we’ll just do it after school. Trust me, Pup; this is going to be really good for you.”

“Does Gran know?”

“Yes, she does and she thinks it’s a good idea, too,” Hermione said.

“You won’t be on your own, Pup,” Derek spoke. “I’ve got a friend, her name’s Miss. Hall and she’s a werewolf. like me. She teaches at the school you’ll be going to and she’ll be your teacher. I’ve told her about you, she knows that your father was a werewolf so she understands that it might be hard for you to control that part of you, so she said she’ll watch over you and you can go to her whenever you need to.”

“Is she a good werewolf?” Teddy asked.

“A very good werewolf,” he nodded. “Her mother was a werewolf, too, and she used to be my teacher when I was your age.”

“Do I have to go?”

“Yes,” Derek said, while Hermione said, “No,”

Teddy looked between the two adults confused.

Derek turned to look at Hermione and she pouted at him. “We’re going to the school tomorrow to enrol you and you can have a look around.”

“Is there any point?” Hermione said. “There’s only a few months left of the school year before summer.”

Derek sent her an amused look before turning his attention back to Teddy. “I’ll make you a deal, Pup, if you don’t like it by the time you break for summer; you don’t have to go back next year.”

“Okay,” Teddy grumbled. “But what about Magic?”

“Magic will be fine while you’re at school,” he replied. “And sometimes the school has a show and tell day, I remember that kids used to bring in their pets all the time. Trust me, Pup, this will be good for you and you’ll make lots of friends.”

~000~000~000~

**Three days later...**

Hermione was currently sat on the couch with her feet propped up on the coffee table and watching a film with Teddy, as the blue-haired boy laid out on the couch with his head gently pressed against her stomach and Magic was curled up asleep at the end of his feet. Andromeda wasn’t feeling well so she was in bed resting, and Derek was in the kitchen making some snacks for them.

Hermione startled when Teddy suddenly bolted upright and he looked down at her stomach.

“What’s wrong, Teddy Bear?” She asked him.

“I felt your tummy move,” he spoke.

Hermione frowned. “You did?”

“It hurt my head,”

Her frown deepened before realisation struck her. She’d been feeling the babies moving for weeks now, but no one else had been able to feel them kicking. That’s what Teddy had felt, but she thought only she had felt it. He was the first to feel the babies make their presence known.

“Derek!” Hermione called.

“What!” He called back.

“Get in here; you’re going to want to see this.”

Moments later Derek entered into the living room, raising an eyebrow at the way Teddy had his ear pressed against Hermione’s stomach and a laugh left him when he pulled back slightly.

Hermione held her hand out for Derek and when he took it, she tugged him closer and brought his hand down to her stomach, shifting her clothing so it pressed against her bare skin. Derek looked at her confused but a few moments later he felt it. A strong thump against his hand which was quickly followed by another and Teddy laughed.

Derek’s eyes glowed bright blue for the rest of the day.

~000~000~000~

**Four days later...**

“DADDY!”

Derek looked up from checking his messages and he slipped his phone back into his pocket when he caught sight of Teddy darting down the steps of the school with his backpack on his back and his sandy blonde hair blowing in the breeze.

“Hey, Pup,” Derek greeted Teddy, chuckling when he ploughed into him, hugged him tightly and looked up at him with a large grin on his face. “How was your first day?”

“It was awesome,” Teddy grinned. “We did some drawing and writing, and maths, I didn’t like it,” he said and Derek snorted at him. “At lunch, Ben and Sam sat with me and they asked me to play with them and be their friend. What’s football?”

“I’ll tell you later, we better get home before Hermione has a temper tantrum.”

Teddy laughed at him before he climbed into the car and Derek made sure he was properly strapped in before getting into the car himself and they made the journey to the cottage.

“Daddy?”

“Pup?” He questioned, turning to look at him before looking back at the road.

“How many werewolves are at school?”

“As far as I know, only one. Why?”

Teddy frowned before shaking his head.

“Pup, if there’s something you need to me, you should.”

Teddy shook his head again. “Do you know who the bad man is?”

Derek sighed. “No, the sheriff couldn’t find anything on him, but if he comes back I’ll take care of it.”

“I know,”

~000~000~000~

“Are you going out again tonight?”

Derek turned to look over his shoulder, giving Hermione a smile before going back to making himself a sandwich.

“Yes, Liam’s still having difficulty with the full moon and I said I’d help him. I’m meeting them on the cliffs before the moon rises. I’ll leave after reading Teddy his bedtime story.”

She nodded. “Maybe I should come with you.”

“Not a chance in hell,” he told her seriously. She scowled at him. “I’m being serious, Hermione. I’m not having you anywhere near him tonight, not only has he never met you before, if he smells me all over you or picks up on the pups, he’ll realise you’re fertile and he could target you. If it were just Scott it wouldn’t be a problem, but this is a newly turned werewolf.”

“You know I can take care of myself, you’ve seen me do it and you know I have my magic to prevent anything from happening. But you’ve been trying to help this kid for months and nothing seems to be helping. You’re forgetting, while I may not know as much about supernatural werewolves, this kind of thing is my speciality. There isn’t much that separates the two classifications, so maybe I can help him where you can’t.”

He turned around and crossed his arms over his chest. “No,”

She folded her own arms above her stomach and stared him down. “I’m coming with you and you can’t stop me. So, I can either come in your car or follow you in mine.”

“No, Hermione,”

“Yes, Derek, your methods aren’t working for him.”

“They worked for me, my mother taught me.”

“Exactly, not only were you born the way you are, your _mother_ was the one to teach you to control your wolf. This kid needs something you can’t give him. He needs a woman’s touch, he needs a mother,” she said, patting her stomach for effect. “You know I’m right.”

“No, I’m not risking it.”

“Alright, my car it is,” she said, turning on her heel and storming out of the kitchen.

“Fine!” Derek called. “But at the first sign of any trouble, you’re leaving, no arguments!”

Hermione smiled smugly to herself as she made her way to her library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 11


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 12

“I mean it, Hermione,”

“You’re like a broken record, stop repeating yourself; it’s getting on my nerves,” she told him, a growl coming from her and she stormed forward, making her way to the edge of the cliffs which was a short distance from where Derek had parked the car.

After Teddy had been put to bed, had his story read to him and he’d fallen asleep, Hermione and Derek had left Andromeda to her own devices and left the cottage to meet up with Scott. As she stepped through the trees and onto the cliffs with Derek at her side as he’d easily caught up with her, Scott and Stiles both turned around, their eyes widening at seeing her there.

“Don’t, she won’t listen,” Derek grumbled.

“But...” Scott tried, but was cut off.

“Shut it!” Hermione growled and his mouth snapped shut as Stiles looked a cross between amused and frightened.

“The babies,” Derek shrugged.

Hermione scowled at him before she caught sight of a third person present who she assumed was Liam, and he was sat on the edge of the cliff with his feet hanging down and looking out at the view.

“What are you doing here?” Stiles asked her.

“I’m here to help, whatever you’re doing doesn’t seem to be working, so we’re going to do this my way.”

He made to reply but Hermione shushed him and made her way over to Liam, he looked up at her, his eyes widening slightly as they traced the features of her kind face and then they landed on her stomach, widening to the point she thought they’d fall out of his head. He looked over his shoulder at a scowling Derek and then back to her.

“Ignore him; he’s in a mood because he didn’t get his way. He should know by now he’s never going to win an argument with me,” she smiled down at him before she struggled to get down on the ground until she was sat beside him.

“I’m Hermione,” she said, holding her hand out.

“Liam,” he replied, shaking her hand as she watched him.

He had brown hair with hints of copper, tanned skin and pale blue eyes with light lashes framing them. He had a small nose and a strong jawline and he reached up to push some strands back from his face.

“You’re Scott’s friend, right?”

She nodded. “And that grumpy sod’s girlfriend, too,” she replied, gesturing to Derek behind her with her thumb.

“I heard that!” Derek called.

Hermione sniggered. “I said it out loud, you were meant to hear it. And I don’t care if it is the full moon, if your mood doesn’t improve you’ll find yourself sleeping on the couch for the foreseeable future,” she said without looking at him. “So, Liam, how are you feeling?”

He turned to look at the view and shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Derek brought me here on our first date,” she told him. “I’ve seen a lot of things in my life, but this is the only place I’ve ever felt at peace. Like I’ve got no troubles and the world just falls away. You should know, Liam, I’m not going to judge you, you don’t have to lie to me or hide anything from me, so tell me, how are you feeling?”

He turned his head to look at her briefly, before returning his gaze to the view. “Overwhelmed. Anxious. Confused, take your pick.”

“That’s perfectly understandable, you’ve gone through a massive change in your life, I can empathise with that,” she told him softly, and he looked at her to see her rubbing a hand over her stomach. When she caught him staring she chuckled at him. “Oh, this isn’t the change I’m talking about, but I suppose it counts, too,” she shook her head.

“Should you really be here?” He asked her.

“You’re not going to hurt me, Liam.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do, I have faith in you. I’m a very good judge of character and despite just meeting you, I know you’re strong, which is how I know you’re going to get through this. And I’m going to help you.”

“How?”

“Well, whatever Derek’s doing may have worked for him when he was a child, but it’s not working for you, so I’m here to try something different. I just need you to trust me, I know it’s a lot to ask, but do you think you can do that?”

He looked over his shoulder and then back to her. “Scott trusts you, so I suppose I can put my trust in you, too.”

“Brilliant,” she beamed. “The moon’s soon going to make an appearance so we better get ready. Do you think you can help me up, I’ll be here forever if I try and do it by myself?”

Liam stood and held his hands out to her, pulling her to her feet and steadying her when she wobbled slightly.

“Thanks,” she said, before walking over to the others and she frowned when she saw Stiles digging through a rather large duffle bag and she heard clinking coming from inside. “What’s in there?” She asked. In response, Stiles pulled out a rather large, rather thick metal chain. “And what are those for?”

“Restraint,” he shrugged.

Hermione frowned when Liam walked over to the large tree and stood against the trunk, and both Stiles and Scott took one end of the chain before they walked around the tree, crossing the chain over itself and wrapping it around Liam.

“I don’t bloody well think so, what in the name of Merlin is wrong with you?” She said, her voice rising shrilling.

The two teens stopped in their walking and frowned at her. “It’s to stop him from running off and hurting someone,” Stiles said.

“He’s not going to hurt anyone, take them off him, now! He’s not a bloody animal or a monster, he’s a human being and we will treat him like one.”

“Hermione...” Scott began.

“No, take them off him now!” She growled.

They all flinched when her eyes flashed gold, something that even surprised Derek as he’d never seen it happen. The wolf traits the babies were influencing in her were getting stronger each day as the babies grew. He was glad she had just over four months left before the babies were due, as he hated to think what the traits would be like when she was that far along, she was frightening enough as it was, and now she had wolf traits, too.

The two teens looked to Derek and though he was reluctant, he nodded. They shared worried looks before the chains were unwrapped and dropped to the ground.

Hermione’s glare dropped from her face and she walked over to Derek, digging her hand in her pocket and pulling out two vials which she handed to him.

“This is in case anything should go wrong. The red one will knock him out instantly. Usually, it’ll last eight hours but with his werewolf metabolism, it’s probably half that. The blue one should help to calm him. The only difficult part is wrestling it into his mouth. Only use them if you absolutely have to, otherwise allow us the room we need.”

“I don’t like this,” he muttered.

“I know, but I don’t like that Teddy now goes to school,” she shrugged, turned and walked off into the woods.

“That’s hardly the same!” He called after her.

“Where’s she gone?” Stiles asked.

“No idea,”

“What are those?” He nodded to the vials in his hand.

Derek slipped the potions into his pocket. “None of your business,” he replied. Stiles scowled at him.

When Hermione returned she was carrying two folded up deck chairs.

“Where’d those come from?” Scott asked confused.

“One of my many talents,” she replied. “Not telling you anything,” she added when Stiles stepped forward and his mouth opened, so she ended his barrage of questions before they could even start.

She walked over to Liam, unfolded a deck chair and gestured to it, while she did the same for the other one and sat herself down opposite him. It was clear he was confused but he did sit himself down and she smiled at him.

“Excellent, now we just wait. “Stiles, any good werewolf jokes?”

“Excuse me?” He said with a raised eyebrow.

“Come on, I know you must have some. As the only humans here, it’s our duty to roast the hell out of these furry beasts.”

Scott spluttered, Derek sighed and Liam looked as though he didn’t know where to put his face.

“I’ll give you one hundred dollars if you can tell me one I haven’t heard or used before,” she said.

“You’re on,” Stiles said. “Let’s see, training pads?”

“Used it,” Derek said.

“Mood swings?”

“Used it,”

“Moonshine?”

“That one, too,”

Stiles frowned. “Shaving?”

“Definitely heard that one,”

“Fangs?”

“Yep,”

“Claws?”

“That one, too,” Derek said.

Stiles’ frown deepened and Hermione sat back in her chair and crossed her legs at the ankles.

“You’ll never find one, I’ve used them all. I make it a point to poke and prod at Derek’s wolf side,” she said. “And now I know Liam prefers chains as a method of restraint,” she winked at the teen and his mouth fell open as Scott and Stiles stared at her, catching onto the meaning behind her words.

Derek just sighed. “Should you really be winding up a newly turned werewolf?”

“I’m not winding him up. Liam, am I winding you up?” She asked. He shook his head, an amused smile pulling at his mouth. “See, I’m not winding him up. Now, Liam and I are going to have a little chat, maybe you’d like to keep your oversized ears to yourself otherwise you’ll find yourself in the dog house.”

Derek groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, Liam snorted, Stiles blinked slowly and Scott just shook his head.

~000~000~000~

They’d only been talking ten minutes when Liam’s hands flew up to the plastic armrests of the chair and his breathing grew heavy.

“No, stay back,” she said to Scott and Derek who had both made to move over to Liam. “Liam, I want you to look at me.” He lifted his bowed head and his eyes were flashing between pale blue and gold. “Good, I want you to focus on me, nothing else. Listen to my voice, to my breathing. Do you think you can mimic it? Give it a try.”

He took a breath and looked away from her. “It’s not working,” he said, his voice strained and his grip on the armrests grew tighter.

“It will, try again. Listen to my heartbeat; drown out the sounds of the others with only mine. Use it to focus you and slow your own breathing,” she said. His grip on the armrests loosened slightly. “Good, well done,” she praised and he looked back up at her. “What’s your name?”

“What?” He said, his voice still sounding strained but at least his breathing was no longer laboured and heavy.

“What’s your name?”

“Liam Dunbar.”

“I’m Hermione Granger. How old are you?”

“Sixteen,” he answered.

“I’m twenty-three. What are your parents called, what do they do?”

He took a deep breath and gripped the armrests tightly before his grip loosened. “Jenna and Marcus. My mom’s an event planner, my step-dad’s a doctor.”

“Jean and Richard, they were both dentists. They died when I was eighteen.”

“My dad’s an asshole,”

“My ex-boyfriend’s an arsehole and his sister a bitch,” she told him. “What’s your best friend’s name?”

“Mason,” he answered.

“Mine was Harry, but he’s an arsehole, too, so we’re no longer friends. Let’s see, what do you like doing?”

“Playing Lacrosse,” he grunted out, his grip on the armrests tightening until the plastic made a noise of protest.

“I love winding up Derek.”

He let out a grunt-like snort and the plastic of the armrests suddenly broke under his grip, pieces breaking off and falling to the ground. A growl sounded from him.

“It’s okay, I didn’t particularly like that chair either,” she said softly. “Liam, look at me,” she instructed and he did so, showing glowing gold eyes and she noticed claws beginning to form on his hands and fur beginning to grow on his face. “It seems you’re almost through with the transformation. How do you feel?”

He let out a growl but she didn’t flinch. She just nodded. “I feel like that too sometimes, like this morning, I could’ve murdered Derek when he called my cat a ‘fat, ugly monster.’ Or last night when he refused to get me a chocolate fudge cake, I actually smacked him with a pillow for that one, and when he called me a ‘hormonal monster’ I actually bit him. I mean, it’s his fault, right? He’s the one that knocked me up with his super sperm, and with bloody twins, too? So I have every right to be hormonal, it’s his babies that are doing it to me, and the babies are the ones that made me bite him, too. Wouldn’t you agree?”

He let out another growl and his facial structure began to change, and she looked over her shoulder at Derek, sending him a smug smile at Liam’s agreement. The two teens and her boyfriend were watching Liam carefully, but it was clear to her they were surprised, too.

She turned to look at Liam and when she saw his fangs making an appearance she pushed herself up from her chair, sent a glare to Derek when she heard him move closer and she moved over to Liam.

Just as the transformation finished, Liam threw his head back and let out a loud howl to the moon. He stood from the chair and made to run off into the woods, but before he could Hermione was stood in front of him, looking up at the taller werewolf.

He let out a snarl of warning, baring his fangs and his eyes glowing in the dark. Hermione didn’t flinch.

“Liam Dunbar, what the bloody hell do you think you’re doing snarling at me?” She scolded him as if he were a child and she, his mother. “If you do not stop that right now, you will not be allowed to play with the other werewolves in the woods. Do I make myself clear?”

He growled at her.

“I mean it, you’re not too old to be grounded and I’m not above doing so.”

His growls quieted so Hermione slowly lifted her hand, holding it out in-between them with her palm facing him. His growls died down altogether and he sniffed at the air, his eyes landing on the metal disc around her neck and he tilted his head to the side in confusion.

Slowly Hermione reached out with her other hand, taking his hand in hers and she brought it up until his palm was pressed flat against hers. He watched their hands curiously and when he visibly sniffed at the air, Hermione’s mouth pulled into a small smile.

“You can smell them, can’t you?” She questioned.

He tilted his head to the other side and slowly she wrapped her hand around his, bringing it down to her stomach and pressing his hand against her baby bump. Liam startled and let out a whining sound when the babies gave a hard kick and it thumped against his hand, a look of fascination crossing his face.

“Twins, a boy and a girl,” she told him.

She stepped back from him, his hand falling from her stomach and he growled at her before stepping closer.

“I’m not going anywhere, Pup,” she told him. “But I’m pregnant, I need to sit down.”

Slowly she stepped back from him and while he growled at her he didn’t follow her. She moved over to a tree and sat herself down, pressing her back against the trunk and once she’d gotten herself as comfortable as she could, she sent a nod to the temperamental werewolf. He all but ran over to her, dropping himself down beside her and bringing his hand up to her stomach, feeling the babies kicking.

“What’s your name?”

“Liam Dunbar,” he replied, the growl gone from his voice but it was deeper than before.

“How are you feeling?”

“Peaceful. Light. Tired,”

“If you’re tired you can go to sleep, Liam.”

“You’ll stay?”

“I’ll stay,” she promised.

His gold eyes lifted from her stomach and to her face, seeing that she was telling him the truth he shifted until he was laid flat on his back and he rested his head against her thigh, her hand coming down to run through his hair and she hummed to him. Within moments he was sleeping.

She lifted her head to the others, seeing them all staring with their eyes wide and their mouths hung open and Stiles looked as though he were about to faint from shock.

“How the holy hell did you do that?” Scott asked her quietly.

“You’re a werewolf whisper!” Stiles exclaimed.

She shushed him and sent him a glare as Liam shifted at the sound and Hermione soothed him by running her hand through his hair, before looking back up to them.

“You’re forgetting something,”

“And that is?” Derek asked, eyeing the young werewolf as though he were a threat to his relationship with her and she rolled her eyes at him.

“Liam may be a Beta and he may be sixteen, but he’s a newly turned werewolf. He’s a pup and every pup needs a...”

“Mother,” Derek muttered in surprise. “You were right, he needs a mother.”

“I love hearing those words,” she sighed, before shaking her head. “Exactly, he needed a mother, he needed me. I’m assuming his parents don’t know, particularly his mother.”

Scott shook his head. “No, he didn’t want to tell them, he was worried they’d be afraid of him.”

“That’s why he’s been struggling with controlling himself, because he needs the reassuring presence of a mother, someone that’s going to accept him for who he is. This wouldn’t have worked it I hadn’t been pregnant. He smelled the babies which made him realise I was what he wanted. But it was the babies, too, they helped to calm him. You’re still new at this yourself, Scott, so you don’t understand the effect pups have on a pack.”

“They represent hope, love and life,” Derek explained to the confused looking teens. “In traditional werewolf culture a three day celebration was held whenever a pup was born to a pack, gifts were offered to the pup from allied packs and the pup was marked as belonging to the pack. Pups are the glue that holds a pack together, if there’s one thing that will always be agreed upon it’s that the safety of the pups comes first as they’re the future of the pack.”

“Liam’s wolf recognises that and that’s why I was able to calm him,” Hermione spoke. “So, if either of you wish to have a run around and let off some steam, Stiles and I will be fine here.”

“Yes, we will,” Stiles nodded.

“I’m not answering your questions.”

Stiles scowled and crossed his arms over his chest in a huff.

~000~000~000~

**Three days later...**

“Magic, they’ll be back soon, stop pulling,” Hermione scolded the large puppy as they slowly made their way through the woods.

Derek was picking Teddy up from school and she and Magic were going to meet them halfway like they always did, but Magic was a bit too excited to wait patiently and kept pulling on his lead.

“Magic, stop pulling,” she scowled.

“I’ll take him before he pulls you over.”

Hermione startled and whipped her head around, sighing in relief when she saw it was only Scott, Stiles and Liam, which is why Magic didn’t alert her to their presence; they weren’t a threat to her.

“What are you doing in the middle of the woods?” Hermione asked.

She handed over the dog lead to the Alpha werewolf as Magic jumped up at him, trying to lick his face before he turned his attention to Liam, sizing up him and moving closer to sniff at him. Apparently deciding he liked the other werewolf he jumped up at him, making Liam blink in surprise before he scratched the large puppy behind the ears.

“Looking for you actually,” Scott replied. “We know you live somewhere nearby but we were able to track you here,” he shrugged. “What are you doing?”

“Meeting Derek, he’s on his way back from picking up Teddy from school. Magic’s too impatient to wait for them to actually get home and he won’t stop barking if I don’t bring him out to meet them,” she answered. Scott snorted at her. “Why were you looking for me? There’s not been a body found, has there?”

“No, not that I know of,” he said, before turning to look to Liam so Hermione followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow.

“I asked him to help me find you,” the youngest teen spoke. “I just wanted to say thank you for your help, I never got the chance since you were already gone when I woke.”

“It’s no problem,” she smiled at him. “I knew what you needed as soon as I met you, technically you’re still a pup and every pup needs a mother. And I’m sorry for not being there when you woke. I did stay for most of the night but Derek and I had to get home so we could make sure Teddy wouldn’t be late for school.”

Liam nodded. “I get it, but thank you, I was worried I’d never be able to control myself.”

“Give it a few months and you will, in the meantime, I’ll be with you to help you.”

“Every time?” He blinked in surprise.

“Of course every time,” she told him. “Even if it’s pouring down, you can just come to the cottage for the night, but if I happen to go into labour on the night of the full moon, you can’t blame me for my own foul-tempered snarls and growls.”

Liam blinked slowly and his eyes darted down to her stomach, while Scott and Stiles snorted at her.

“Just how far along are you?”

“Twenty-two weeks, almost twenty-three, so there’s still a bit of a way to go yet,” she replied, lightly patting her stomach and smiling. When Magic suddenly started barking, Hermione let out a chuckle. “You can let him go,” she told Scott. “Derek and Teddy are here.”

Scott dropped the lead to the ground and Magic darted off into the distance, barking loudly and excitedly before squeals of laughter rang out in the woods, followed by a loud ‘thud,’ which was soon followed by Derek’s voice.

“Magic! Be careful!” He scolded.

It was a few moments later when they came into view and Hermione smiled when Teddy ducked and swerved between trees and jumped over broken branches as he made his way over to her.

“MUMMY!” He called, laughing when Magic ran beside him, bouncing in his steps, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth and his ears flopping up and down as he ran.

Teddy barrelled into Hermione and would’ve knocked her off her feet if Liam hadn’t stepped closer to her and steadied her. She gave him a smile of thanks and then looked down at Teddy.

“Hey, Teddy Bear, how was school?” She asked him.

“It was awesome,” he grinned up at her. “We did spelling and painting and maths, I still don’t like it.”

Hermione chuckled and she heard snorts come from the others and she sent a quick smile to Derek when he approached them and then she turned her eyes back to Teddy.

“I played chases with Ben and Sam and we played soccer and I scored a goal.”

“Football, you played football,” Hermione corrected.

Teddy pulled back from her with a frown. “Daddy said it’s soccer.”

“Daddy’s wrong, it’s football. You and I, Teddy Bear, are British so for us it’s football.”

“Okay,” he shrugged his shoulders. “Where’s Gran?”

“At home, she’s not feeling well so she’s having a rest.”

Teddy frowned before shaking his head and he turned to look at Scott and Stiles.

“Hi Scott, Stiles,” he grinned at them and Hermione smiled when he moved closer to them and high fived them both. “Who’s the werewolf?”

Liam blinked in surprise and then looked to Hermione, she just shrugged.

“He’s special,” she explained, before looking to Teddy. “Teddy, this is Liam, Scott and Stiles’ friend.”

“Is he a good one or a bad one?” He asked, his eyes narrowed slightly. Liam blinked again.

“Well, which are you, Liam?” Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.

He cleared his throat. “A good one,” Liam spoke and at his words, Teddy grinned at him

“Liam is Scott’s pack, just like we’re Daddy’s,” she told the little boy, and he nodded.

“Do you wanna play with me?” He asked Liam.

“What are we doing?” Liam said to Teddy.

Teddy grinned up at him before he reached out for Liam’s hand and pulled him after him, moving off into the distance and Magic followed after them. Liam looked over his shoulder at the others, Hermione smiled at him, Scott and Stiles looked amused and Derek just shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets.

“We have to look for rabbits and birds, and if we see one, we have to build it a home,” Teddy’s voice carried over to them.

“Come on then, boys, it looks like Teddy’s leading us back to the cottage,” Hermione said, slipping her hand into Derek’s and moving off after Teddy and Liam with Scott and Stiles falling into step beside them.

They were nearing the cottage when both Derek and Scott came to a complete stop and they both sniffed at the air. Hermione and Stiles shared a look before Stiles was the first to speak.

“What is it?” He asked them.

“Someone’s been here recently,” Scott explained.

Hermione frowned, there weren’t many hikers that walked the woods near where she lived, partially because the woods and trees grew thicker and darker, and also because it was too far from the road. She was literally in the middle of the woods.

“They smell like you,” Derek muttered, turning to look down at her.

“Like me?” She questioned confused.

“Like _you_ ,” he emphasised.

Her eyes widened when she picked up on his meaning, and she didn’t miss Scott and Stiles sharing a curious look. Whoever it was, they were magical. She made to speak but Scott and Derek both turned their heads, angling their ears off into the distance.

“I’m picking up on voices,” Scott said.

Derek nodded. “At least two, both male,” he added.

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had a bad feeling about what was about to happen and she needed to steady herself and her magic so she didn’t expose herself in front of the others. She was just grateful Teddy and Liam were now behind them, Liam having spotted a rabbit hole and Teddy had dragged him over to it excitedly so they could examine it.

“British?” She asked.

“Yes,” they both replied.

“Does one smell like spearmint and sugar, and the other old parchment paper and freshly cut grass?”

They looked at her oddly for her question but they both deliberately sniffed at the air, taking in the scents around them.

“Yes,” they both spoke, looking at her expectantly, and from the way Derek was looking at her, she got the feeling he knew the same thing she did.

“How do you know that?” Scott asked her.

She took another deep breath and then steeled herself. “I know who they are, stay here and let me deal with this,” she instructed.

“Hermione...” Derek began, but she cut him off with a shake of her head.

“No, I need you to stay here, I know you’ll lose control of your wolf if you actually meet either of them and I’m not letting you be put on the potential threat to humanity list because of them. I’m happy in my life and I’m not letting them take that or you from me. Let me deal with this.”

She didn’t allow him to reply as she removed her hand from his and walked off into the distance.

“Who is it?” Scott asked.

“Her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend,” Derek spoke, a growl wrapping around his words. Scott and Stiles shared a look.

“We’re following her, aren’t we?” Stiles said knowingly.

“Yes,” Derek replied, looking over his shoulder slightly to see Teddy pulling Liam over to a tree and pointing up to the bird that sat in the branches. Knowing Teddy would be safe with Liam, he followed after Hermione.


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 11

Hermione saw the shocking red hair and the mop of messy black hair before she even heard their voices carrying in the wind, and she took a moment stood behind a tree to observe the two intruders who had no right to be looking for her.

“We’re lost,” Harry sighed.

“No, it’s around here somewhere, Jenson gave us the general location of her address, she’s definitely here.”

Hermione ground her teeth and clenched her hands into tight fists. Jenson was responsible for keeping the records of the employee’s of The Ministry private. They were very few people that were allowed access to such records, one of them being The American Minister himself. Jenson had broken rule number one; don’t give out the information of an employee unless there’s permission from The Minister to do so. She knew The Minster wouldn’t have allowed such a thing, so she knew Harry had used his fame and name to get access. When she was done with Harry and Ron, she was going to make it her personal mission that Jenson was fired for breaching her privacy.

“Ron, we’re not going to find her.”

“We are, she can’t be far,” he protested.

Hermione took one final calming breath before she put her hand in her pocket, feeling the safety of her wand wash over her before she stepped out from behind the tree.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

They both spun around and Harry almost tripped over a fallen branch behind him. Their eyes widened and their mouths dropped open as they stared at her stomach.

“I asked you a question.”

They were both able to close their mouths and they moved their eyes back to her face, anger and hatred written as clear as day across her features.

“It’s true, you are cheating on me,” Ron spat.

Hermione laughed at him. “I’ve never once been unfaithful to you, I didn’t fall pregnant until after I broke up with you and called off the wedding and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.”

“My mother was right about you,” he sneered.

“Your mother’s just as deranged as you are. What did you think? Me moving here was just me trying to prove a point? That I was just being a naughty little girlfriend and I would soon come to my senses and come back to you? Is that what you thought? If you did you’re not as smart as I thought you were. I’m not yours, I don’t belong to you. I want nothing to do with you, Ronald. You’re a horrid human being,” she said coldly, before she turned her eyes to Harry. “And you, I warned you what would happen if you spilled my secret and as you know I’m a woman of my word. The-Boy-Who-Lived? Well, let’s see if you survive what your bitch of a wife will do to you when she discovers the truth.”

Harry paled dramatically but he sent a glare her way and she spied Ron gripping his wand in his hand and his face turning red, a sign his anger was about to boil over.

“What you did to me is unforgivable.”

“I was good to you. I could’ve easily found someone better but I _chose_ you.”

Hermione scoffed. “I think you’ll find _I_ chose you. You’re a spiteful little man and I hate you for everything you did to me. The belittling, the abuse, the making me feel bad about myself, sabotaging my contraceptives, I could have you arrested for that, it’s both an act of domestic abuse and a sexual offence. How will you con some poor woman into marrying you and having your devil spawn when you’re on the sex offenders register?”

“You were never good enough for me,” he snarled. “I’ve had women far more beautiful than you throwing themselves at me.”

“And you didn’t turn them away, I’m not stupid Ronald, and they were likely gold diggers or prostitutes. No one in their right mind would want to marry you; you’re a hideous human being and if the press caught wind of how you treated me, your life would be over. Even if you leaked the news of my pregnancy your press coverage would be greater than mine, isn’t that something you’ve always wanted? Imagine, Ronald Weasley, war hero and Harry Potter’s best friend arrested and charged with domestic abuse and sexual offences. I can just see the headlines now.”

“ _You_ weren’t good enough for me and I see that now, but it doesn’t matter anymore. You’re out of my life and I’m happier for it. I have a good job, a wonderful boyfriend and a family I adore. You have no room in my life, I don’t want you here, leave now.”

“I have every right to be here,” Ron spat, his grip on his wand tightening.

“No, you don’t. I bet you don’t even have the correct visitation paperwork for entering the States, do you?” She raised an eyebrow. “That’s what I thought. So not only have you broken the laws of the Global Wizarding Relations, the American and British Ministries by coercing private, protected information from a Ministry official, but you also plan on harming an American citizen, too? You two are more like criminals than I realised, that’s not going to be good for your record, is it Harry?”

Harry’s glare hardened and Ron slowly lifted his wand.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” she said lightly. “Not only am I unstable right now,” she gestured to her stomach. “But there’s muggles nearby and if you should reveal our existence to them, that’s another crime to add to your growing list.”

“You’re a bitch,”

“No, that’s your sister,” she said without missing a beat.

“Someday you’re going to get what’s coming to you and I’m going to enjoy it.”

“I’d be careful with who you threaten,” growled words sounded and Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose.

“I told you to let me handle this,” she said, not bothering to look over her shoulder.

She felt him sidle up beside her, one arm curling around her and pressing against her stomach. She knew he’d heard everything and she knew he was furious. Not only were growls rumbling in his chest and his face contorted in anger and dislike, but his frame was tall and rigid and she spied his other hand curled into a tight fist, blood running down his hand where his claws were digging into his skin in an effort for him to control himself.

Scott came up on her other side and his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed, but it was clear to her he was calm. Stiles moved to stand beside Scott and dug his hands in the pockets of his jacket, tilting his head to the side with his eyes also narrowed.

“I suggest the both of you leave, now,” Derek warned.

Ron sneered at him. “Oh, so this is him, is it?” He said. “He’s obviously after something, no one that looks like him would willingly be with a buck-toothed, bushy-haired freak like you.”

Hermione flinched at the childhood name-calling and Derek let out a growl.

“Are we seeing the same person?” Stiles spoke up, looking to Hermione and then to Ron, giving him a look that as clear as day said he was an idiot.

“What? You purposely got pregnant, didn’t you? That’s why he’s with you, you trapped him.”

Hermione gritted her teeth.

“You must be the dumbest person I’ve ever met,” Stiles said. “Like, seriously, only an idiot would wind him up,” he gestured to Derek with his head. “I mean, not only are you threatening his pregnant girlfriend, but you’re insulting her in front of him, too? And people say Americans are stupid,” he rolled his eyes.

Ron glared at him and Hermione just sighed.

“Look, just go, no one wants you here and you’ve broken so many laws today that even the great Harry Potter’s name won’t be able to prevent you from being arrested, and trust me, that’s a sight I’ll pay my entire net worth to see.”

“MUMMY! DADDY!”

Hermione froze and Derek did the same next to her. She didn’t want Teddy there and she’d been hoping Liam would be able to distract him long enough for her to get rid of the two dimwits. Teddy had been hurt enough by Harry and she wasn’t sure how seeing him again would affect the young child.

Hermione turned to look over her shoulder, seeing Teddy dragging Liam over to them by the hand and Magic walking beside them. One look at Liam’s face told her he’d heard everything and he looked furious.

Liam might have only known her a few days, but on the night of the full moon, they’d bonded in the way of pack. Liam was a pup and he saw Hermione as his wolf mother, so of course, he would feel protective of her. The others had come to the same conclusion and realised that Liam was most likely the one that would lose control, not Derek.

Hermione looked to Harry, seeing him looking completely surprised to see Teddy in the middle of the woods in Beacon Hills. Of course, he wouldn’t know he and Andromeda had moved because she hadn’t told him she was moving, not deeming Harry worthy enough to know after all the times he’d let Teddy down, and completely replacing him his child was the last straw for The Black witch. Hermione was sure if Andromeda hadn’t been so unwell she’d have cursed Harry within an inch of his life.

“Look, we found a really big spider,” Teddy said, coming to a stop beside Derek and holding his hand out, showing that in his palm sat a spider, and it was actually quite big. Hermione smirked when Ron took a step back.

“Wow, that is a big spider,” she said.

“Teddy?” Harry spoke in surprise.

Teddy’s smile immediately dropped from his face when he turned around.

“Harry?” Teddy said.

A frown pulled at his face and he put the spider on the ground before removing his hand from Liam’s and instead, he stepped closer into Derek’s side, and he placed his now healed hand on the child’s shoulder. Liam moved so he nudged his way in-between Scott and Hermione, clasping his hands together into tight fists and his jaw clenched.

Harry blinked in surprise at Teddy’s addressing, noting the way he hadn’t called him ‘Uncle Harry,’ like he’d always done.

“Teddy? What...What are you doing here?”

Teddy’s face pulled into a scowl and he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Looking for rabbits and birds with Liam,” he replied, looking at Harry as if he were stupid and Stiles sent Teddy a proud look. “I’ve been to school and Daddy picked me up.”

Harry and Ron both blinked before they shared a look and Harry’s face suddenly contorted from confusion into anger.

“You say we’re criminals, yet you kidnapped and brainwashed a child,” Harry yelled. “You’re the biggest criminal there is.”

Hermione blinked slowly before she burst out laughing, earning strange looks from the werewolves.

“You’re a bloody idiot,” she told him. “I haven’t kidnapped or brainwashed anyone. You’re the one that did this to yourself.”

Harry glared at her before looking at Teddy. “Teddy, come here, I’m taking you home to your Grandmother.”

Teddy blinked at him. “Gran’s in bed sleeping,” he said.

“Teddy, get away from her,” Harry instructed.

Teddy shook his head. “No, she’s my mummy.”

“No, she isn’t!”

“Yes, she is!” Teddy shouted back at him, tears beginning to well in his eyes and Hermione felt her heart breaking for the little boy, but she was proud to see that his hair didn’t once falter from the sandy blonde colour despite his mood changing drastically.

“She’s my mummy and he’s my daddy,” he looked to Derek. “They love me and take care of me. We’re pack and daddy’s the Alpha and he keeps us safe from bad people. They see me all the time and help me with my homework. You don’t see me.”

“Teddy,” Harry’s voice softened. “Ginny’s got a baby in her tummy; I have to look after her. That’s why I haven’t been to see you.”

“You’re a liar!” Teddy shouted. “Mummy’s got babies in her tummy and she came to see me. Gran said you were busy working, but she lied. You didn’t want to see me. You smell _bad_. I don’t want to see you ever again.” Teddy’s tears spilt down his cheeks and his lip started trembling. “I hate you!” He yelled before he turned and ran off into the distance and Magic followed after him.

“I’ll go,” Stiles said, sending a glare to Harry and Ron before he ran after Teddy. “Tedster! Slow down, I’m not as fast as you and I’ll fall over!” Stiles called as he disappeared through the trees.

Harry made to go after him but a growl ripping from both Derek and Liam stilled him instantly and he looked up to them, his eyes widening at seeing the bright gold eyes of Liam, and the bright blue eyes of Derek.

“He means it, Harry. We’re a pack, you wouldn’t understand that. You were never marked as being a part of Remus’ pack the way Teddy and I were. You didn’t feel your heart being torn out when Remus died, and you don’t feel the bond Teddy and I do. We can still feel the remnants of The Lupin pack, but now we’ve both got a new pack,” Hermione spoke. “You did this to yourself. I moved to a different continent and was still able to visit Teddy; you have no excuse which will appease him, he’s young, not stupid. You chose someone else over him.”

“Ginny’s pregnant!”

“So am I, the only difference being I’m not replacing Teddy with my baby. Andy told me exactly what you said to her, and you’re lucky I wasn’t there otherwise you’d have gotten a lot worse than getting kicked out on your arse. You’ve hurt that little boy more than you know, and he’s never going to forgive you for what you’ve done to him. He said you smell _bad_ , he thinks you’re a bad person.”

Harry shook his head. “When I get back, I’m going to make sure Andy knows exactly where Teddy is and I’m going to bring an entire team to extract Teddy from you.”

Derek snarled menacingly and both Harry and Ron took a step back.

“Are you threatening my pack?” He asked, his voice deepening and growls wrapping around his words.

“You know I told you my boyfriend was a supernatural being?” She said. “Well, what I didn’t tell you was he’s a werewolf, as are Liam and Scott,” she gestured to them in turn. Harry and Ron both shared fearful looks and Hermione felt a smile pull at her mouth. “Supernatural werewolves don’t require the full moon to change, they can do so any time they wish. While Derek was born the way he is and comes from a long line of werewolves and therefore has excellent control over his wolf, I know he’s struggling right now. Liam’s a newly bitten werewolf so he’s still having difficulty learning to control himself, and Scott’s a True Alpha, very powerful,” she explained with a smile.

“Even if you were to use your _abilities_ against them, not only are neither of you experts like I am and therefore have no idea what you’re doing, there’s three of them and only two of you. You can’t harm me, I have a werewolf willing to kill to protect me.”

“ _Two_ werewolves,” Liam corrected, growls rumbling in his chest and she caught sight of his fangs making an appearance, as well as his claws, so she carefully wrapped her hand around his, feeling him relax slightly at her touch.

“If you were there for Teddy the way you should’ve been, this may not have happened, but it’s clear you haven’t been to see Andy otherwise you’d know she and Teddy both moved to Beacon Hills a month ago, and are living with Derek and I, as a pack.”

Harry’s eyes widened.

“You can’t take him from me, ask Kingsley yourself. It was Remus’ last wish that I be made Teddy’s guardian, Andy gave me the letter he wrote me a month ago and Remus explained his wishes to Kingsley before his death. As of yesterday Derek and I are Teddy’s guardians and we’re going through the process of officially adopting him and it can’t be broken by you or anyone else. Should you take Teddy from us, you’re the one that will be kidnapping. I don’t ever want to see you again Harry, and especially you, too, Ronald,” she said.

She looked to the redhead who had been remarkably silent, but she supposed he’d been so surprised by the things he’d learned and heard, he was unable to feel his anger. He was only capable of feeling one emotion at a time, having the emotional range of teaspoon and all.

“And don’t ever come here again or come looking for me or Teddy, I assure you, you won’t find us. You know how adept I am at staying under the radar. And I wouldn’t worry about Teddy, he’s going to be well taken care of, if he wishes to see you, I’ll contact you, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up if I were you.”

“He’s my Godson, Hermione!” He exploded. “You can’t keep him from me.”

“I’m not keeping him from you as I’ll let you know _if_ he wants to see you, but if you want to get technical, you’re not officially listed as being Teddy’s Godfather, you’re not his anything. You have no right to him. Now, leave, and don’t expect to be going home to a happy wife.”

“You’ll ruin my marriage if you tell her,” Harry spoke.

She shrugged. “I’ve never liked her and after the way you’ve treated both Teddy and me, I no longer have friendly feelings for you either. I honestly don’t care if I ruin your marriage and if that makes me a bitch, then so be it. I hope you got a prenup otherwise that bitch is going to take you for everything you’re worth, I’ve known since day one she’s been after The Potter Vault.”

“She’s not a gold digger!”

“No?” Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow. “Did she or did she not tell you to take her engagement ring back because the diamond wasn’t big enough and that she wanted more than one? Did you or did you not fund the entire wedding which came in at a ringing total of fifty thousand. Did she or did she not have you give her access to the entirety of The Potter Vault? Did she or did she not cry because you booked your honeymoon for a week in Paris when she wanted a four week trip around the world?”

“Sounds like a gold digger to me,” Derek smirked. Harry glared at him.

“You shouldn’t keep secrets from your wife, Harry. I’m only doing the right thing in telling her.”

“She’ll come after you,” Harry warned.

Hermione snorted. “I’d like to see the bat-shit crazy witch try, you and I both know she can’t take me in a duel. I’ll wipe the floor with her, heavily pregnant or not. Besides, she’s going to be too busy yelling at you.”

“It wasn’t my fault, Hermione!” He protested. “You know it wasn’t. It was the Horcrux, it made me do it.”

She snorted at him. “I smell bullshit,” she replied. “You and I both know the Horcruxes didn’t make us do anything we didn’t want to do. They played on our deepest fears and hidden emotions and desires. Everything that happened did so because the Horcrux released our inhabitations and it used our fear and doubt against us. When you tried to kiss me, it had nothing to do with the Horcrux. It was something you wanted to do but you buried it so far down because you didn’t want to admit you wanted me. You wanted me over Ginny, and she’s always been jealous of me, so this news of her being second to me is only going to send her over the edge.” She sighed. “I’m such a bitch, I’m enjoying this far too much,” she said, looking up to Derek. While his eyes were still blue, his mouth pulled into an amused smile. “And when this baby of yours is born, I’d be sure to get a paternity test done.”

“Ginny would never cheat on me,” Harry narrowed his eyes on her.

“She would,” she told him honestly. “Once you married her she’d gotten everything she wanted. I caught her once, trying to sneak a guy into the house when you were away for work. She forgot I was staying with you since I was having some work done on my flat.”

“If that’s true, why didn’t you tell me?”

“For the same reason you didn’t tell me Ron had cheated on me, not only once, but three times,” she said. Ron made a noise of surprise. “Yes, I know you cheated on me not long before I broke up with you, I’m not stupid, Ronald. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to hurt you, I may not have liked her but I knew you loved her, and God only knows why, she’s awful,” she shivered for effect. “And she wasn’t a virgin when you got together either.”

“Yes, she was, she told me.”

Hermione sighed and shook her head. “Harry, so naive. Wake up and bloody smell the roses. She slept with Michael Corner, Cormac McLaggen _and_ Dean Thomas, and they’re just the ones I know about. Ask Dean if you don’t believe me, you’re still friends, right? And now I’ve spilt some home truths and I’m feeling much better about getting them off my chest, go away. I don’t want you here and neither does Teddy.”

Harry and Ron both sent her looks of hatred before they reluctantly left, realising they’d been beaten and they would never be able to harm Hermione even if they wanted to, not only because of her werewolf bodyguards, but with her magic being unstable with the pregnancy she was dangerous.

When they were gone from sight she let out a huge sigh and sagged against Derek.

“Well, that was tense,” Scott spoke for the first time since the whole ordeal had begun and Hermione snorted at him.

“Actually, that was quite tame. They’d have both lost their tempers if their fear of you hadn’t overridden their anger and their self-preservation instincts hadn’t kicked in,” she said. “And thank you for standing up for me.”

“I would’ve killed him,” Liam muttered. Hermione gave him a gentle smile and his hand a squeeze.

“But you didn’t, you controlled yourself and I’m proud of you,” she told him softly, before removing her hand from his. “Now let’s see if we can find the children.”

“ _Children_?” Scott said, looking amused.

“Children,” she nodded in conformation, before turning around and heading in the direction Teddy had run in.

“What’s a Horcrux?” He asked her.

“None of your business,” she replied, he just rolled his eyes, being used to not getting answers to their questions.

“Is it true?” Derek asked her. Now he looked much calmer and his claws had retracted but his eyes were still glowing bright blue. “Did he really come on to you?”

“Yes, I was eighteen.”

“But you said he was like your little brother,” he said, his face scrunching up in disgust.

“I did and that’s the way I saw him, Harry didn’t feel the same way. I didn’t know until it happened,” she shrugged before a smile pulled at her mouth when she heard laughter carrying through the woods.

Not long later they came upon the scene of Magic laid on his back and wriggling on the ground, scratching his back on the rough floor, Stiles being sprawled out on the ground on his stomach and Teddy leaning against a tree and laughing loudly.

“You’re silly,” Teddy laughed.

Stiles groaned before he pushed himself up and rolled onto his back, looking up at the sky. “I didn’t see it.”

“What’s going on here?” Hermione questioned.

Teddy beamed at them and ran over to them, jumping up at Derek who caught him and sat him on his hip, while Scott walked over to Stiles and helped him up from the ground.

“Stiles was playing chases with me and he got his foot stuck in a rabbit hole and fell over,” Teddy explained and they chuckled at him.

“That doesn’t surprise me, Pup,” Derek rolled his eyes.

Teddy’s smile fell from his face and he looked at her with his lip beginning to shake. “Is he gone?”

“Yes, Teddy Bear, he’s gone,” Hermione said softly, reaching up to brush his hair back from his sweaty forehead. “And he’s never coming back, we made sure of it.”

“Do I have to see him again?”

“Not if you don’t want to,” Derek said.

Teddy nodded before a smile reappeared on his face. “Can they have dinner with us?” He asked, looking to the three teens.

Hermione and Derek shared an amused look. “Sure, if they’re not busy,” Hermione said, and the teens replied they weren’t. “What are we having tonight?”

“Ice-cream,” he said without missing a beat. They snorted at him.

“Ice-cream for dessert, what do you want for dinner?”

He appeared thoughtful. “Chicken nuggets?”

Hermione raised an eyebrow. “Chicken nuggets, boys?” Hermione said.

“I love chicken nuggets,” Stiles exclaimed.

“Me too,” said Scott.

“And me,” spoke Liam.

Teddy beamed at them.

~000~000~000~

By the time they made it to the cottage as Teddy kept stopping them every five minutes to look for rabbits and birds, Andy was sitting on the couch waiting for them. She sent them a quizzical look and Hermione mouthed ‘muggles’ to let her known not to discuss magic in front of them and the older witch nodded.

“Why are you so late, Dears?” She asked them, raising an eyebrow when they shared looks.

When Teddy hugged Andromeda and then ran to his room to gather his favourite toys to show the teens, she and Derek quickly explained what had happened in the kitchen. It was clear Andromeda’s Black temper was frightening when Hermione was forced to put several charms around the room to stop the teens from hearing anything and once she’d calmed down, they introduced her to them before preparing dinner.

They all ate in the living room, the boys sitting on the floor around the coffee table and watching the TV as the adults watched them amused. Afterwards, Hermione and Derek gave Teddy permission to go looking for rabbits with the teens, and they didn’t return until two hours later and Teddy was all but asleep as Stiles piggybacked him into the cottage.

“Mummy, Daddy?”

“Yes, Teddy Bear,” Hermione answered, smiling at the sleepy child when he moved to sit beside her on the couch.

“Can they be my Uncles?” He asked her.

The three adults shared knowing looks before Derek looked to Teddy. “Sure, Pup.”

Teddy fell asleep within minutes, snoring loudly.

“Welcome to the pack, boys,” Hermione said.

“What?” They spluttered.

“Teddy sees you as his Uncles. That means you’re his family, his pack. He’s made you part of our pack.”

“But we have a pack,” Scott frowned, gesturing to himself, Stiles and Liam.

Hermione smiled. “I know, we’re two separate packs but one unified pack, too.”

“That makes no sense,” Stiles frowned. “How can a pack have two Alphas?”

“It’ll give you a headache if I explained it to you, but it’s possible,” she told him.

“One thing a pack will always agree on is the safety of the pups,” Derek muttered, looking between Hermione’s stomach and the sleeping child curled up against her side. “Hermione’s right, welcome to the pack.”


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 19

**Two months later...**

Time passed quickly for The Hale pack with Scott, Stiles and Liam fitting in well, visiting the cottage regularly and Hermione had been present at the last two full moons, helping to keep Liam calm and he was quickly learning to control himself.

Hermione was only two months away from the twins’ due date and her stomach was bigger than ever, all the added weight she was carrying was wreaking havoc on not only her sleeping pattern and bladder, but she grew tired very easily and couldn’t be on her feet for long periods of time.

Things had been too quiet lately, there’d been no supernatural cases for her to investigate and while she was happy for the fact, she couldn’t help feeling that something was coming.

It was the final week of school and then the summer would officially begin, meaning she would have Teddy back in her line of sight at all times and she would no longer have to worry about him.

The time he’d been at school she begrudgingly admitted it had been good for him. Not only had he made friends with children his own age and he had started taking an interest in other activities, but he’d grown in confidence. And while she didn’t like that he was at school and the time she had left with him before he went off to Hogwarts was reduced, even she could see it had been the best decision with the best outcome.

As Hermione stepped out of the trees with Derek and they made their way to their own cars, she pressed a quick kiss to his mouth and climbed into her car. Derek would be picking up Teddy from school and Hermione had to a do a quick grocery run, as well as pick up some medication for Andromeda.

It was uncommon for wizarding folk to catch the muggle flu but Andromeda had somehow done so, and with her magic and body weakening, it wasn’t that farfetched. Andromeda had been confined to her room for the last few days, not wanting to pass on the illness to Hermione whilst she was pregnant, and with Derek’s werewolf genes meaning he couldn’t get sick, he was the one that took Andromeda her meals and visited with her so she wouldn’t feel lonely.

“I’ll see you back at the cottage?” Derek called over to her, stood beside his car and ready to climb in.

“I should be no longer than an hour, would you mind making a start on chopping the vegetables? I’ll do the rest when I get back.”

“Alright, and don’t forget we need ketchup.”

“Already?” She asked amused.

“The pup’s practically drinking it straight from the bottle,” Derek shrugged.

She snorted. “I won’t forget, but don’t you forget to find out how many cookies the school wants for the charity bake sale. It’d be easier to just donate ourselves but I promised Teddy he could decorate the shortbread.”

“I won’t, and don’t you forget we need bread for Teddy’s lunch box.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to, but I’m going to remind you to not leave his lunch box behind.”

“I’ve learned my lesson,” he grimaced.

They’d accidentally left Teddy’s lunch box at the school over the weekend once and Hermione had forced him to clean it; it hadn’t been a pleasant experience, the smell alone had knocked him sick. 

“Good, I’ll see you later,” she said, shutting the car door behind her, getting herself comfortable and then sending a little wave to Derek as she drove past him.

~000~000~000~

Derek stood outside the school with his eyes darting about the crowds of children and their waiting parents, watching and waiting for Teddy to make an appearance. He’d been there five minutes and so far he hadn’t caught sight, smell or heard him, but he knew it wasn’t anything to worry about. Teddy was usually one of the last ones out of the school either being too busy talking to his friends or he’d forgotten something and had to go back for it.

He slipped his hands into his pockets and allowed himself to relax as he continued watching the crowd, and when he spotted a group of mothers giggling between themselves and their eyes darting between each other and him, he struggled to keep his face passive, especially when one of them squared her shoulders and slowly approached him.

He could easily see she was older than him, he’d say she was in her mid-thirties and he was sure she had three children, the elder one being in high school, the middle child being in middle school and the youngest being in elementary school. Her straight blonde hair was left to hang down her shoulders and her green eyes were framed by mascara covered lashes.

He thought she was a bit too dressed up to be picking up a child from school, wearing a black informal cocktail dress and a pair of black heels on her feet. He admitted she was pretty but to him Hermione outstripped her by miles, even when she was grumpy and threatening to bite him and wearing sweatpants and his shirts. When Hermione felt she looked her worst, he thought she was at her best. Natural, wild and beautiful. Like a wolf.

But judging by the way the woman looked at him and the tan line on her ring finger, he guessed she was recently divorced and it wasn’t hard to determine what she may have wanted from him. 

“Hi, I thought it about time I introduced myself, I’m Sarah,” she smiled at him, holding her hand out.

Not to be rude, he shook her hand before slipping his own back into his pocket. “Derek,” he replied, his eyes darting around in search of Teddy and then moving back to the woman in front of him.

“You’re Teddy’s father, right?”

He understood how she knew who Teddy was, he was the only British child in the school and the children would tell their parents about the new transfer student.

“I am, yes,” he replied.

“I’m Charlie’s mom, he’s in Ms. Farrow’s class.”

Derek nodded, he couldn’t believe the old woman was still teaching; she’d been there when he was young. Thankfully he’d never been forced to have her as a teacher as she was known for being a lot stricter than the others and he couldn’t remember any child that actually liked her.

She cleared her throat, drawing his eyes back to her when they once more searched for Teddy. He raised an eyebrow when he saw her push her hair back from her face and an innocent smile pulled at her mouth, her eyelashes fluttering briefly.

He thought it best to defuse the situation before the woman said something that would be embarrassing for her, but he didn’t want to be an ass about it, so he was going subtle.

“You don’t happen to know how many cookies are needed for the bake sale, do you? It’s just Hermione needs to know so she can make sure she has enough ingredients before she makes a start on the baking tomorrow.”

“Hermione?” She questioned.

“Hermione, Teddy’s mom, my girlfriend.”

“Oh,” she said, her face falling. “I wasn’t aware Teddy had a mother, I’ve only seen you pick him up.”

Derek’s mouth twitched and he titled his head to the side slightly. “It’s a bit of a drive from our house to pick Teddy up, and with Hermione being heavily pregnant it’s a bit too much for her.”

“Pregnant?” She spoke.

Derek thought she couldn’t look any more disappointed even if she tried.

“Yes, pregnant, she’s got two months left to go and the babies haven’t been making it easy for her, so I handle the school run.”

“Babies?”

Derek found it very difficult not to laugh in the poor woman’s face.

“Babies,” he nodded. “We’re having twins.”

She frowned. “How’s Teddy your son? He doesn’t look like you, you don’t look old enough to be his father and rumour has it he’s British.”

 _‘Didn’t stop you from setting your sight on me, did it?_ ’ Derek thought amused. 

He gave her a tolerable smile, he would have to lie slightly for this part. “Teddy’s Hermione’s nephew. His parents died when he was a baby and his Grandmother got custody. When Hermione moved over here from England, she discovered her mother’s not well so she moved them both out here to be with her a few months ago. We’ve both legally adopted Teddy, which is how and why he’s my son, regardless of my age.”

She blinked at him, her mouth parted slightly.

“So, about those cookies?”

She shook her head. “Right, well there’s usually a few parents that have been assigned to each stall. Last year each parent baked between fifty and seventy-five each.”

“I’ll let her know, thank you, now if you don’t mind, I better go look for Teddy. That kid would live here if we allowed him. It was nice meeting you,” he spoke before he turned and made his way to the school steps.

There were only a few stragglers left and Teddy was always out by now, so he went looking for him.

“Mr. Hale?”

Derek stopped and turned to see another teacher, Ms. Simons. He didn’t know her all that well, she’d only started at the school his final year before moving onto middle school and he’d never been in her class, but she was a friend of Georgia Hall, Teddy’s teacher, so it wasn’t surprising she knew who he was. He frowned at seeing the confused look on her face.

“Did Teddy leave something behind?”

“Not that I’m aware of, but he hasn’t come out yet.”

Her frown deepened. “Mr. Hale, Teddy was picked up by his Uncle to attend a dentist appointment.”

Derek froze immediately and he felt dread fill him.

“You didn’t know?” She questioned, worry beginning to make its way onto her face.

“No, I didn’t. Just give me a moment,” he said before he dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone, dialling Scott’s number.

“What’s up, Derek?” Scott’s voice came over the speaker.

“Have either you, Stiles or Liam pulled Teddy out of school without telling me?”

“What? No, of course, we haven’t, Hermione would kill us. We haven’t left campus all day. Why?”

Derek didn’t answer him, he ended the call and looked to the teacher, her face paling at his next words.

“I need to know who picked him up, now!” He spoke, barely keeping control of his wolf and he gripped his hands into tight fists.

She nodded and turned around and walked into the school, reappearing moments later with a clipboard in hand and a record of visitors. He saw her eyes scan the papers before she looked up at him.

“Teddy was collected at 13:45 with a note that explained he had a dentist’s appointment. The signature on the note was checked against your signature on Teddy’s enrolment forms, they were a match.”

“Who was it?” He growled.

He knew he was frightening her but he didn’t care, he needed to know who’d taken Teddy.

She looked back down at the papers. “Peter Hale.”

~000~000~000~

It had taken Hermione barely any time at all to pick up the groceries and Andromeda’s medication and she quickly made her way back to her car, putting the bags in the boot before she made her way to the nearby bakery with the intention to pick up something for dessert as she really couldn’t be bothered baking anything. That day had been a particularly hot one and she didn’t want to spend her time being blasted with heat every time she checked on the cake or cookies.

Halfway to her destination, she came to a stop, feeling the presence of a werewolf being nearby. She knew it wasn’t Derek or even Scott or Liam, knowing their auras well by that point. This one wasn’t exactly foreign to her, but it wasn’t quite familiar either. She looked around her, seeing other shoppers and pedestrians going about their own business and not paying any attention to her.

She frowned before she shook her head, maybe she was being paranoid and her magic was acting up. She continued on her way until she came to a stop again a few moments later, feeling the presence again, but stronger. Automatically she felt her hand go to her sleeve where her wand was hidden beneath her jacket, and she looked around once more.

Unfortunately for Hermione, she’d stopped right in front of an alleyway.

She heard a noise and before she could turn around and see what it was, a hand darted out from behind her, wrapped around her mouth to quieten her screams and she was pulled backwards into the alleyway and out of sight.

Her back hit against a hard chest and she struggled and fought to get free, until she felt the sharp stab of a needle in the side of her neck. Whatever she’d been injected with was strong and she felt herself tiring quickly and her struggling ceased as she slumped against the body behind her.

As her eyes were drifting closed, she caught sight of a familiar looking face giving her a smile, until everything went black.

~000~000~000~

“Where’s Miss. Hall?” He asked. It was obvious his question had confused her.

“She’s taken a personal day to attend to some family matters.”

That explained it. If she had been at the school she would’ve sensed another werewolf being present and if she’d heard that Peter Hale was there to collect Teddy, she wouldn’t have allowed it and she would’ve called him immediately. If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought Peter had orchestrated the whole thing, and he did know better. It was no coincidence that she was off on the day Teddy was taken.

Teddy, bless the little pup, he’d known, too! He’d asked him if there was more than one werewolf at the school. He’d sensed Peter at the school all those months ago, likely watching the child and mapping out the building.

“Should I call 911?” The teacher asked.

Derek took a calming breath and put on a strained smile. “No, Peter’s my Uncle. Teddy’s mother must’ve forgotten about the appointment and asked Peter to pick him up instead, I wrote the note a few days ago so I wouldn’t forget to and then for it to be later handed in,” he lied. “I’ll call Peter myself and make sure everything’s fine, thank you though.”

She slowly nodded and Derek turned and quickly made his way back to the car. He climbed inside and slammed the door shut behind him, his hands coming up to grip the steering wheel tightly and he bowed his head as his breathing grew laboured.

He was losing control.

Spying the ring on his hand and being reminded of Hermione, he barely managed to keep his wolf side contained and he turned his attention to contacting Hermione. They used her magical telepathy regularly and he still hadn’t gotten used to having someone else’s thoughts inside his head, though he did admit it came in handy. In a situation such as the one they were in, they could silently communicate without anyone knowing.

He thought of Hermione, mentally calling her name, only she didn’t answer. He tried again. She didn’t answer. Which meant she was either out of range -and they’d experimented with the limitations only a little but they knew they could communicate over several miles and the grocery store certainly wasn’t that far away- or something had happened that meant she _couldn’t_ answer him. Or worse, both.

That was it, his wolf broke free.

He looked up at himself in the rear-view mirror, seeing his blue eyes and his fangs and when he looked down at his hands; his claws had grown in, too. He wasn’t completely full werewolf as his facial structure hadn’t changed and he hadn’t yet grown hair, which meant he still had some control over himself. He was glad for the tainted windows on the car and the fact the school was almost empty.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialled Scott.

“Hel...”

“The animal clinic, now! I want you there in five minutes, I don’t care if you have to run!”

“But...”

“Just do it!” He snarled, throwing the phone onto the passenger’s seat, turning on the ignition and speeding off.

He reached the animal clinic in record time and didn’t bother turning off the ignition or locking up the car. He entered through the back entrance and found the three teens muttering between themselves. When the door slammed behind him, they all turned to face him, their eyes widening slightly at his almost full werewolf appearance and the anger that radiated off him.

“Hermione and Teddy are missing,” he growled, beginning to pace back and forth.

“What!” Chorus shouts sounded.

“Derek! Stop pacing and tell us what happened,” Scott spoke.

Derek spun around with a snarl ready to be released but seeing the teens worried expressions –especially Liam who looked as though he were about to rip his throat out with his teeth if he didn’t get answers- he took a deep breath and forced himself to remain in one spot, his thumb absentmindedly rubbing over the ring Hermione had given him.

“Does this have something to do with your call?”

Derek nodded. “Yes,” he replied, his voice deep and angry. “I can’t get a hold of Hermione; she’s not answering my calls and Teddy was picked up early from school with a note that was signed by _me_ saying he had a dentist appointment. The signatures matched the ones on Teddy’s enrolment forms.”

“So it wasn’t forged?” Stiles asked.

“Of course it was forged, by someone who knows my signature well,” Derek growled.

“I assume there was a name, they wouldn’t let someone take Teddy without getting one,” Scott said.

“There was.”

“And?” They chorused.

“Peter Hale.”

Scott and Stiles froze while Liam looked confused.

“Who?” Liam asked, he was ignored.

“He’s supposed to be in Eichen House,” Stiles muttered.

“The mental health place?” He was ignored.

“Well, obviously he got out!” Derek snarled, making them jump. “I get it now. Jonathon Pierce. John’s his middle name and Pierce was his mother’s maiden name. I didn’t piece it together until the ride over here. It’s a fake name and the reason we couldn’t find anything on him. He met Teddy and Hermione, when he realised they had the protection of the Hale Pack and that Hermione’s carrying my babies, the future of the pack, he thinks...”

“You’re an Alpha,” Scott whispered, realisation hitting him. “He thinks you have the power of an Alpha.”

“I knew he wouldn’t give up, I knew he’d come after me again but I didn’t expect it to be so soon or for him to get to me by taking Hermione and Teddy. He wants the power he thinks I have and he’s using them as bait and as hostages.”

“He wouldn’t hurt them, would he?” Stiles asked. Scott and Derek looked at him stupidly. “I know he’s an evil, murdering psychopath, but this is a child and a heavily pregnant woman we’re talking about.”

“Peter doesn’t care about that; he just wants revenge and power. Hermione and Teddy are Derek’s only weakness, he’s figured that out and using it to his advantage,” Scott sighed. “He purposely left his name because he knew Derek would see it.”

Stiles paled. “What’s the plan?”

“I don’t know. I’m barely stopping myself from going full werewolf and tracking them down, but I need to be careful. I don’t want to do anything that could backfire and harm Hermione or Teddy,” Derek said.

“First things first, we need to find them. Do you have any idea of where they are?” Scott asked him.

“No, I’m sure you’ve noticed you can’t get reception around the cottage.” All three teens nodded at him. “Neither can I, so Hermione’s created something that allows for us to communicate, but wherever she is, it’s too far out of range. There’s at least a fifty-mile limitation.”

“Your point?” Stiles asked.

Derek snarled at him and Stiles startled. “She’s also put a tracking device in them so we can find each other in cases of emergency, I just have to activate it and it’ll take me straight to her. Peter will be expecting me, but he won’t be expecting me so soon. He knows it’ll take me time to find her on scent alone, but he doesn’t know about the tracking devices.”

“Which gives us an advantage,” Liam spoke.

It was clear he was confused about why exactly someone would want revenge on Derek and he was using Hermione and Teddy to do it, -and he didn’t even know who Peter Hale was, a relative he supposed- and he knew things were being kept from him, but it didn’t matter to him. He just _needed_ to get them back. He _needed_ them safe.

“I’m doing this alone, I just need you to...”

“No, you’re not,” Scott interrupted. “That’s what Peter will expect, he’ll expect you to go alone. You said we’re a pack, and a pack stays together and they fight together. We’re not letting you do this alone. We have the advantage. He doesn’t know about us.”

“No...”

“Yes,” Liam snapped, surprising the others.

“You’ve no experience in a wolf fight, _Pup_ ,” Derek growled.

“I’m a fast learner,” he replied. “You’re not the only one that loves them. Hermione and Teddy are our family, our pack.”

“He’s right, Derek. We’re a pack and we’re not letting you do this alone,” Scott said.

“Fine,” he snarled. “But if anything happens I won’t be helping you, Hermione and Teddy are my number one priority.”

“And we get that,” Scott nodded. “So, what’s the plan?”

Derek let out a growl and ran his hand through his hair. “I need to go home, Hermione’s written down the activation code and put it in a safe place. Stiles?”

He looked at him questioningly. “Yeah?”

“I want you to watch over Andy while we’re gone,” Derek said.

“Why?”

“She’s not well and she needs looking after, I don’t know how long we’ll be gone.”

“Fine, but I want to be kept in the loop,” he replied.

“I’ll call my mom and let her know what’s happening. She’s due back from the hospital in an hour, so I’ll ask her to stay by the phone and with medical supplies at the ready so when we get back she can tend to Hermione and Teddy should they need it.”

“Let’s go, I don’t want them anywhere near him any longer than they have to be.”

~000~000~000~

Hermione’s eyes fluttered open to that of the sun streaming through a window and bathing her face in the warmth. She quickly became aware of the soft mattress that was beneath her, but she knew it wasn’t her own. She was also aware that her wrists were tied together with rope in front of her body and it was tied around the headboard of the bed, but she was able to push herself up until she was sitting and she looked around her surroundings.

It looked to be some kind of cabin with the wooden walls, roof and flooring. She was sat on a double bed that was against the back wall, a table sat near the single window in the room with one chair tucked underneath, and there was a bookcase near it, filled to the brim. There was a kitchenette close to the door that was the entrance and exit of the cabin and a door on her left led to the small bathroom.

She remembered what’d happened, she remembered the presence, the struggle, the sharp prick of a needle and then the black that soon followed before waking up in a cabin in Merlin knows where.

She had to remain calm. She couldn’t panic. If she did, she risked her magic acting out and that was dangerous for her too, or she risked sending herself into early labour and that was something she definitely wanted to avoid. She’d been in worse situations than the one she was currently in, she could handle it if she just stayed calm.

“Mummy!”

Hermione’s eyes snapped to the corner of the room and they widened when she saw Teddy sat on the ground in the corner with his wrists tied similarly to hers, and his ankles were bound, too. How hadn’t she noticed him before? And bless her little Teddy Bear; his hair was still sandy blonde.

“Teddy Bear,” she whispered. “Are you hurt?

“No,” he shook his head, tears welling in his eyes and it was obvious he’d been crying previously.

She was going to kill the bastard that had done this to them and that’d scared her little boy.

“I’m scared,”

She gritted her teeth. “Teddy Bear, everything’s going to be alright, I promise. Can you come to me?”

He sniffled and pressed his back against the wall, using it to push himself up until he was standing and then he jumped over to the bed. Hermione reached out to pull him up onto the mattress and he buried himself against her, crying into her and she did her best to calm him.

“What happened, Teddy Bear?” She asked him softly.

“The man picked me up from school before daddy. I told the teachers I didn’t want to go with him, but they wouldn’t listen. He said I had to go to the dentist and they let him take me.”

Well, that explained why they’d let him take Teddy. He’d obviously convinced them that he had permission to collect Teddy from school and Teddy’s reaction at not wanting to go with him would’ve been similar to that of a child that didn’t want to visit the dentist. They wouldn’t have suspected anything. She just wished she knew how he’d convinced them.

“It was the bad man from before.”

“I know, Teddy Bear,” she said gently. She’d seen his face before she’d blacked out.

“He put me in the car and said if I didn’t stay quiet, he would hurt you. And then you were in the car, too, but you wouldn’t talk to me. The man said you were sleeping.”

“Do you know where we are? Did you see anything that could help?”

“No, we were in the car for a long time.”

“How long?”

“Longer than maths and spelling,” he told her. “He made me walk through the woods and wouldn’t let me look for rabbits. He tied me up when we got here and told me not to move. He left and when he came back he had you, he tied up, too, and left.”

“Has he been back?”

“No,”

“Do you know how long he’s been gone?”

“No,” he shook his head.

“Okay, you’ve done really well and been so brave, I’m so proud of you and I know your daddy will be, too.”

“Is he going to hurt us?” Teddy asked.

“No, he’s not. I won’t let him, even if I have to break every one of our laws, I won’t let him hurt us. And I know your daddy’s coming for us.”

“How’d you know?”

She took his hands in hers and brought them up to the metal disk around her neck.

“Feel that?”

“It’s warm,” he sniffled.

She smiled at him. “That means daddy’s coming for us, and if the man comes back, don’t tell him.”

“I won’t,” he promised.

~000~000~000~

By the time their abductor returned, hours had passed and between the two of them, Hermione was sat up in bed with her back against the headboard and Teddy was laid down, curled up beside her underneath the blanket and his hands were pressed to her stomach, the magic of the babies helping to soothe him. The magic of unborn babies, while volatile, was also one of the purest forms of magic to exist.

When the door opened she kept her eyes on looking out the window, staring at the same tree she’d been looking at for the past ten minutes. She’d known he was close by, she’d felt it.

“Oh, you’re awake, lovely,” he said.

“You’re an arsehole,” she said as a way of greeting.

“I’ve been called worse.”

“I assure you, I’ve got plenty of words in my vocabulary, but they’re not suitable for use in front of children, sleeping or not.”

She turned to look at him, her eyes glaring murderously and her anger only increased when he looked amused by her words.

“What did you give me? I swear if it’s...”

“Just a tranquillizer, it’s perfectly safe for you both,” he nodded to her stomach.

“I so want to rip your throat out with my teeth right now,” she said lowly, a growl wrapping around her words and her eyes flashed gold.

His amusement faded and he looked surprised at her display of wolf traits.

“You’re not a werewolf,” he said, looking at her curiously.

“No, but the babies are,”

“Babies? Twin pups?” He blinked.

“Yes, if you were paying attention you’d be able to hear their heartbeats.”

“Well, I never knew Derek had it in him to produce twin pups, I’m almost impressed. And your wolfiness?”

Her glare didn’t fade. “The babies, they’re channelling their wolves through me.”

He titled his head to the side. “Powerful then,” he muttered. “I remember all three of Talia’s pregnancies; she didn’t show any wolf traits other than her own.”

“Cut the crap and small talk, what are you after? You said you were an ally of the Hale Pack, so why would you threaten war.”

“I never said I was an ally of the pack, you did, I just agreed with you,” he shrugged.

“Derek will come for us,” she told him. “I know he will.” His mouth pulled into a smirk. Realisation hit her. “But you knew that, didn’t you? You want him to come? We’re the bait.”

“In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him give the protection of the Hale Pack to anyone. When I saw you with the Hale marking I knew you’d be the only way I could get to him. You’re his biggest weakness, not only because you’re carrying the future of the Hale wolf line, but he loves you. He’d never give you such protection if he didn’t.”

“What are you after? What do you want from him?”

“I want what’s rightfully mine.”

“And that is?”

“Power. The power of the Alpha.”

She frowned, before she snorted at him. “You’re an idiot. Derek may be titled as the Alpha of our pack, but he doesn’t have the power of an Alpha.”

“And how do you know that?”

“His eyes are blue.”

“You’ve seen his eyes?”

“Yes, it’s the only thing that can calm me when my hormones take over my emotions and I can’t stop crying over ridiculously stupid things.”

“I’m not sure I believe you. How do you know so much about werewolves? How did you know about me? And the kid, too?”

“I’m human but I was part of a pack when I was a child. Teddy’s father was the Alpha and both he and his wife died when Teddy was a newborn. Teddy’s not a werewolf but he can tell when others are nearby, which is how he knew you were one.”

“And you?”

“None of your business,” she replied.

He titled his head to the side before he moved over to the table, moved the chair into the centre of the room and he sat himself down on it, watching her carefully.

“I can smell you, you know? I can smell you’re not quite human. You’re not supernatural, but you’re definitely different. Has my dear nephew learned from his mistakes of dating normals?”

“Wait, nephew?”

He smirked at her. “Peter Hale.”

The way her eyes flashed gold, her teeth gritted, her hands clenched tightly and a snarl ripped from the back of her throat told him she knew exactly who he was.

“Ah, so Derek’s told you about me. All good things I hope.”

“Not really, you manipulative, murdering, psychotic bastard!” She snarled.

“Oh, you’re so kind,” he said sarcastically.

“I’ve got to tell you, I’ve faced some truly frightening, sickening, evil things over the last decade, including a genocidal, bat-shit crazy dictator, but you, you’re the worst of them all. And I swear, if Derek doesn’t kill you, I will. Not only for all you’ve put him through, but for daring to lay a finger on my child and for putting my babies at risk. You should know better than anyone, a wolf mother protects her pups with her life, and I’ll do so even in the death, and for me that’s possible.”

He seemed to take her threat seriously as he sat back and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I can see what he likes about you, you’re feisty aren’t you?”

“You have no idea,” she growled, her eyes flashing gold and barely keeping control of her magic.

It was so hard for her not to use her magic to get them out of the situation, but she couldn’t. Her magic was too volatile to even attempt wandless magic without it backfiring, and although she could still feel her wand against her skin under her jacket sleeve, she couldn’t reach it with her hands being tied. She trusted Derek to save them, and she was going to let him. She’d put her pride aside if it meant her children would be safe. 

“I wonder how you’d be as a werewolf,” he mused.

She wasn’t sure if it was a threat or not, but she didn’t take it kindly either way.

“The same but with teeth that _will_ let me rip your throat out.”

“I’m starting to like you.”

“Really? I’ve hated you from the moment we met.”

“Oh stop, you’re going to make me blush.”

“When I get out of these ropes, I’m going to make your death so painful you’ll still feel it when you’re in hell.”

“Now I’m starting to think you like me.”

“I’d _like_ to stab you in the eye with something very pointy. When Derek gets here, I’m sure he’ll hold you down so I can do it.”

“I’d like to see you try,” he said amused.

“You have absolutely no idea who you’re dealing with.”

~000~000~000~

Hermione had no idea what time it was but she knew sunset would soon be approaching. In the time Peter Hale had returned, they spent most of the time with her insulting and threatening him and him being amused or surprised by some of her threats, them actually being quite gruesome and horrific.

He’d disappeared for about an hour and when he returned Teddy had been awake and he’d almost burst into tears at the sight of him. Peter had come back with food so he had no plan of starving them at least and afterwards she did a good job of ignoring him as she tried to keep Teddy distracted until he fell asleep again.

“To think, you and I have a few more days together.”

Hermione turned to look at him, being too tired to muster a full-on glare but she refused to let her guard down and sleep in front of him.

“Our time together will be a lot shorter than you think,” she told him, feeling that the metal disc around her neck had been growing steadily hotter over the last hour, meaning Derek wasn’t too far away.

Peter tried to pull her into conversation but she ignored him, her gaze moving between looking out the window and down to the sleeping child curled up against her.

She startled suddenly when far off in the distance there was a roar, and it was so loud that even she had heard it. A surprised look flittered over his face and Hermione smirked at him.

“It seems you have a visitor.”

“That’s not possible,” he muttered. “It should’ve taken days to find you.”

“Like you said yourself, I’m different. Do you honestly believe Derek and I hadn’t planned for such a situation where we would need to track the other?”

“I searched you; you had nothing on you but your keys and purse. Nothing that’s traceable.”

“Wrong, where I go, Derek goes, too. He’ll always be able to find me and he’ll always come for me. If I were you I’d get out there. The longer you make him wait, the angrier he’ll be,” she smirked.

He growled at her, his eyes flashing gold but she didn’t flinch, which only annoyed him more. He stood up, glared at her and then left out the cabin door.

“Teddy, wake up, daddy’s here,” she said. He didn’t budge. She looked down at her stomach. “Help mummy out.”

As she said this she felt a series of kicks and Teddy startled awake, feeling them against his hands.

“Daddy’s here,” she said.

“He is?”

“He came for us,” she smiled at him.

They both jumped when the door was kicked open but she sighed in relief and surprise when she saw it was Liam and although he looked livid, he was still calm enough to control his wolf.

“Uncle Liam!”

His eyes searched the small cabin before they landed on the bed and a wolf-like whine fell from his mouth as he darted over to them.

“Are you okay?”

“We’re fine, Liam,” she said softly, seeing his worry in the way his pale blue eyes flashed gold. “What are you doing here?”

“We’re pack, we fight together and we stick together. There’s no way we were letting Derek do this alone, and I’m not quite sure why everyone hates this Peter guy so much, but now I have my own reasons for hating him, too.”

“You and me both,” she replied. “Scott’s here?”

“He’s with Derek; they’ve got the upper hand since Peter didn’t know about us.”

“Please tell me Stiles isn’t here.”

“No, Derek’s got him staying at the cottage watching over Andy,” he explained. “My job’s to get you out of here and to safety before Peter realises he’s in trouble and comes back here to threaten harm against you. So let’s go.”

She smiled when a single claw made on appearance on his index finger and he used it to cut the ropes from her wrists and Teddy’s wrists and ankles. 

Knowing Teddy would find it difficult to trek through the woods with it slowly getting darker, he hiked the small child up onto his back with the intentions of piggybacking him to the safety point.

“Do you think you can walk it?” He asked.

“Don’t have a choice, Pup,” she smiled softly.

“Just stay close to me,”

“I can defend myself,” she replied.

“Derek said something about not freaking out if you used one of your abilities in front of me,” he nodded, and when roars sounded in the distance they looked to each other.

“Is daddy going to be okay?”

“He’ll be fine, Teddy, and we’ll see him soon.”

~000~000~000~

What felt like hours had only been a half an hour trek until they stepped out of the woods and onto a dirt road where Hermione spotted Derek’s car as well as Stiles’ jeep.

“Stiles let you take Roscoe?” She asked surprised. He never let anyone drive his jeep!

Liam smiled slightly. “We’re pack. We couldn’t all fit in Derek’s car, Scott’s mom’s was at the hospital and your car’s missing. And I have to inform her you’re fine, she’s waiting on standby in case you had any injuries.”

She made a mental note to summon her keys and purse before they left, and to later thank everyone for their help.

Having the keys to the jeep, he opened the door and Teddy climbed into the back seat while Liam helped Hermione into the passenger’s side, and he closed the door behind her and stood guard.

Hearing his phone make a sound, he dug it out of his pocket and Hermione poked her head out of the window. In that time, the phone made a sound a further three times.

“Stiles is freaking out that no one’s answering his texts,” Liam shrugged. “We said we’d keep him in the loop.” His phone made the sound a further five times.

Hermione chuckled. “Answer him, it’s going to drive him crazy if you don’t.”

Hermione looked behind her to see that Teddy had fallen asleep in the back seat and when a roar sounded she sat in silence, gripping the metal disk around her neck tightly and praying that her pack would be fine. Soon she dozed off herself but she startled awake when the door opened and Liam was smiling at her.

“They’re almost here,” he told her. Worry crossed her features as he helped her out of the jeep and stood beside her. “Their breathing sounds normal and I can’t smell too much blood. Any injuries they may have are probably already healing.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better, Liam.”

It was several minutes later when the first werewolf made an appearance and she approached him as quickly as she could, pulling him into a hug when he was close enough.

“I’m fine, Hermione,” Scott chuckled at her.

She pulled back from him, seeing the tears in his clothing, the already healing wounds on his torso, the dried blood and his messy hair.

“How are you? Teddy?”

“Both fine, Teddy’s sleeping in the jeep.”

“Don’t blame him, it’s been a long day,” he chuckled.

“Thank you,”

“Don’t be silly, we’re pack,” he smiled at her, before moving away when he heard Derek approaching.

Hermione almost tripped over on her way over to him and his steps quickened when he saw her, relief showing on his face. Like Scott, Derek’s t-shirt was torn and bloody and he had already healing wounds on his torso and one on his face, too. He immediately took her in his arms and buried his nose against her neck, breathing in her scent and feeling the last of his anxiety washing away.

“How are you?” They both asked the other.

“Fine,” she told him.

“And the pups?” He muttered, his hand moving to press against her stomach.

“Both fine, Teddy, too.”

“I was so worried, I could’ve lost you.”

“But you didn’t. I told you, you’ll never lose me and I meant it. I knew you’d come for us,” she said softly.

“He’s no longer an issue, he’s dead. We’ve burnt the body and then buried it for good measure.”

“Shame, I threatened him and I’m kind of bummed I didn’t get to carry out at least one of them.”

A chuckle left him. “You’ve got to tell me, I’ve no doubt they’re creative.”

“When we’re home,” she promised.

He pulled back from her and placed a gentle kiss to her mouth, holding her face in his hands and his eyes tracing her beautiful features.

“DADDY!”

Derek looked up to see Teddy wide awake, jumping down from the jeep, landing on the ground and then darting over to them. He knelt down and Teddy barrelled into him and he hugged the little boy to him.

“I’m fine, Pup.”

“Mummy said you’d come for us.”

“I’ll always find you, we’re pack,” he muttered softly. “And I won’t let anyone take you from me again.”

Derek pulled back from Teddy and he dug into his pocket before pulling out a metal disc with a leather cord attached to it, an exact replica of hers only the disc itself was the size of a locket so it would be easy to conceal. He handed it to Teddy and the little boy beamed when he saw the Hale marking, before he put the necklace over his head and he hugged Derek again.

Derek stood up and perched Teddy on his hip as he pulled Hermione into his side.

“Te amo,” Hermione muttered, looking up at him.

Derek smiled at her. “Te amo,” he repeated.

“What does that mean?” Teddy asked with a frown, looking between Hermione and Derek confused.

“Te amo, it means I love you,” Hermione told him.

“Oh, tomato,” he said, giving Derek a squeezy hug. They chuckled at him.

“Tomato, too,” they both said.

“Alright, everyone’s safe, your creepy ass Uncle’s been taken care of, and I’m hungry. Who wants pizza?” Liam interrupted.

“ME!”

Whether it was Hermione or Teddy that answered was a mystery.


	26. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Page Count: 7

**Three years later...**

“Where are you taking me?” Hermione asked.

“You’ll see, we’re almost there.”

“Derek, you know I don’t like leaving the kids.”

“They're with the boys, they’re fine; they’re more protective over them than we are,” he replied.

Hermione sighed, knowing it was true and that they were perfectly fine with Scott, Stiles and Liam, but that didn’t stop her from worrying or missing them.

It was the middle of summer, meaning the boys were back home and visiting from college, Scott and Stiles had just graduated from their colleges that year and Liam had another year before he did the same. With them being gone most of the year, Teddy missed his Uncles and pack mates, so Hermione made it a point to take the children to visit them each at least once a week.

The boys were still unsure of what Hermione was or how she was able to teleport, and they’d all gotten used to the fact she wouldn’t answer their questions, even Stiles had stopped asking and instead just went along with it. Of course, there’d been a few near exposures over the years, but Hermione and Derek were able to explain away the instances, she was sure the boys didn’t believe them but they never spoke of it again.

Hermione hated her pack being separated but there was nothing she could do about it; they had to live their lives and she knew they’d always come back. Beacon Hills was their home and it’s where their pack was. Scott was studying to be a vet and once he achieved his goals, he would be taking over the animal clinic form Dr. Deaton who was waiting to retire until Scott was fully qualified. Liam was studying to be a doctor like his step-dad and Stiles had studied criminology, folklore and myths and legends. He planned on working with his father, solving crimes and catching criminals, but he was also going to be working alongside and liaising with Hermione when there was a supernatural case, that being the reason he’d studied mythology. Hermione was very proud of her boys.

Teddy now being eight years old only had three years left before he headed off to Hogwarts and she was dreading the day that it came. When the adoption papers had finally come through, Teddy had asked if he could be a Hale, too, and unable to deny him anything and feeling rather touched by his words, Derek had agreed and Teddy’s name had been changed to Lupin-Hale. She’d never seen the blue-haired boy so happy.

Unfortunately, a year ago, not long after Teddy’s seventh birthday, Andromeda had died. Her magic had been destroyed by Bellatrix’s curse, leaving her a Squib and while she had survived the incident, her body continued to weaken until it got to the point she could no longer walk and she was bed-bound. Despite that, she’d remained in high spirits until she died peacefully in her sleep, going into the afterlife to meet with her long since departed family and Hermione knew she was finally at peace and watching over them.

Both she and Teddy had been absolutely devastated, as had Derek and the boys who had came to think of Andromeda as being their Grandmother. She’d certainly treated the boys as if they were her Grandchildren –and she insisted they called her Gran- and they’d loved her for her kindness and strangeness. For someone who had lived in the Wizarding World most of her life, Andromeda had certainly been strange in the boys’ eyes, but they loved her all the more for it. If it hadn’t been for her pack, neither she nor Teddy would’ve gotten through her death. Hermione was only glad Andromeda had gotten to meet the pups of the pack before she’d passed.

“Watch your step, there’s a slope coming up,” Derek spoke.

“Will you please tell me where you’re taking me?” She all but begged.

“No, we’re almost there and it’ll ruin the surprise.”

Hermione huffed at him and considered hexing him when he chuckled at her, but soon enough they were coming to a stop and Hermione sighed when Derek nuzzled at her neck and he placed a kiss over the mark he’d given her. They’d waited until after the twins had been born for Derek to give in to his urges and mark her. He’d been worried at first that the venom in his fangs would turn her, -which he didn’t want- or that it would do the opposite and kill her like it had Paige.

Hermione had been able to calm him, explaining that it was all about intent. If he intended to bite her for the purpose of marking her, then no venom would be injected into her system and nothing would happen to her. She was right. It had taken a few days for the bite to heal, it had and it had it scarred too, revealing to them that Hermione was, in fact, his wolf-mate and that it was possible for supernatural werewolves to have them, too.

“Just give me a minute,” he said.

She felt his presence leave her for all but a minute before he returned to her, pressing his chest against her back and wrapping his arms around her, bringing his hands to rest on her flat stomach.

“Go on then, take it off,” he instructed.

Hermione reached up and removed the blindfold from her eyes, blinking a few times until her blurred vision became clear and a smile pulled at her mouth when she saw the view of a lit-up Beacon Hills and bright stars in front of her.

“This is where we had our first date, remember?”

“How could I forget? This is where I realised I was falling for you,” she said softly, smiling when he placed a kiss to her cheek.

“I wanted to take you to the hotel we met at but it was too difficult to get you there without you being suspicious,” he told.

“What do you mean?” She asked, looking up at him over her shoulder.

“He means he’s been planning this for months, so you better appreciate this!”

Hermione startled and she pulled away from Derek and moved around him, blinking in surprise when she saw Melissa McCall, Sheriff Stilinski and her pack stood by the trees.

Teddy stood in-between Scott and Liam who both had one of the twins perched on their hips. The twins were now three years old and their wolf traits had started to make an appearance more frequently, though Derek assured her they wouldn’t face their first full moon transformation until they were around five years old.

Scott had their son, Jason Remus, Jason being Derek’s father’s middle name and Remus being obvious. Due to his initials being J.R, everyone called him Junior. Liam had their daughter, Amelia Laura, Amelia being his mother’s middle name and Laura his sister’s name. The twins were a mixture of both parents, them both having Derek’s tanned complexion and his dark eyes, but they both had Hermione’s button nose and mahogany coloured hair, but poor Amelia had inherited her wild curls and they fell down past her shoulders.

Stiles had actually been with her when she’d gone into labour two weeks early at the cottage. He’d been no help at all, fainting the moment her waters broke. Given she lived in the middle of the woods, she couldn’t make it all the way to the car or to the side of the road for an ambulance to meet her, she’d given birth at the cottage.

Hermione had contacted Derek, luckily he’d only been picking up some groceries with Teddy so he wasn’t too far away, and hearing Hermione’s growls and snarls in his head, he knew she’d do the same in person and they couldn’t risk anyone seeing her that way. Derek had raced home, but not before calling Scott. When they’d gotten to the side of the road, Scott was there, as was Liam and Melissa, with a bag full of medical supplies and a worried look on her face.

The boys kept a cold suffering Andromeda company while distracting Teddy as Hermione gave birth in the cottage living room with the help of Melissa and Derek numbing the pain for her. Stiles had fainted at his first glance of the newborn twins in their parents’ arms.

Their youngest son had been born the same way, only she had Andromeda with her. The boys had been away at college, Teddy had been at school, and Derek had been meeting with an allied pack when he received word. He raced back to her, picking Melissa up on the way to the cottage. Stiles had fainted when he’d received the phone call.

Stiles had their youngest son perched on his hip while he tugged at Stiles’ t-shirt and laughed to himself. They’d named their now fourteen-month-old son, Andy, after Andromeda. And unlike the twins, Andy was a spitting double of his father, having Derek’s complexion, dark hair and eyes and his nose, too.

When Hermione had found out she was pregnant, Derek had been the one to tell her. Her symptoms didn’t make an appearance until she was around eight weeks, but Derek had picked up on the change in her scent four weeks before. At the news of her pregnancy, they both knew that the cottage could no longer house their pack without renovations, but when Hermione discovered that the only way it could be done was to build another floor, she decided against it, not wanting her cottage to end up like The Weasley Burrow.

Instead, Hermione and Derek sat down and had a long talk about buying another property, but they’d eventually come to the decision to instead have the old Hale House rebuilt. Hermione tried to convince Derek otherwise, not wanting him to have to go back to the place where most of his pack had been murdered, but he was adamant that was where he wanted to raise their children. He may have had bad memories from what had happened with the fire, but the house had been the home of his pack and his childhood, and he wanted the same for their children. 

After Hermione called in the magical contractors, within as little as two weeks the entire house had been rebuilt, decorated and was ready to be lived in. The house was restored to its former glory and even had a newly built extension that housed Hermione’s library and potions lab. They kept the cottage and often used it as a place for them to spend some time alone together when one of the boys would watch the children for them.

At the ages of twenty-six and twenty-five, Hermione and Derek had four wonderful children they adored, and the pack doted on them more than Hermione thought possible. Her children knew the love and safety of a pack and that’s all she could ask for.

“Been planning what?” She asked confused.

Her eyes moved from the gathered group in front of her and flittered around her, seeing many of the trees being wrapped up in white fairy lights, lanterns being strung from tree branches and when she looked to Melissa, she looked to be on the verge of tears and Hermione spied the camera she was holding in her hands.

“I don’t understand,” Hermione said, turning around to look at Derek, her eyes widening and her mouth dropping open when she saw him on the ground and on bended knee.

“Te amo, es tan simple como eso. Estos últimos años contigo han sido los más felices de mi vida y sé que solo puede mejorar si te tengo a mi lado. Eres una mujer increíble y una madre amorosa, y sé que no soy la persona más fácil para vivir y te amo más por aguantarme. Creo que es hora de convertirte en una mujer honesta, y quiero que todos sepan cuánto te quiero. Entonces, Hermione Granger, ¿te casarás conmigo?” Derek said to her.

Three years of learning Spanish, Hermione was all but fluent in the language and therefore she understood every word Derek had just spoken. Tears welled in her eyes and fell down her cheeks, she felt her breathing pick up until she was letting out gasps and her hands shook. She was sure she looked a right mess, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care.

She nodded her head like a bobble-head doll. “Sí,” 

“Sí?”  
  
“Sí, me casaré contigo, bestia peluda demasiado grande.” 

Derek’s face broke into a large grin and he stood up and caught her when she jumped into his arms, hugging her to him tightly as she sobbed into his chest and shook in his arms.

“I have no idea what they just said, but it was beautiful,” Melissa said to the others as she sniffled and pulled a tissue from her pocket. They snorted at her.

“I’m pretty sure she just said yes whilst also insulting him,” Liam said knowingly.

“Sounds like her,” Scott agreed with a chuckle before the group broke out into whistles and cheers.

Hermione pulled back from Derek, wiping at her face and laughing at them. Derek gave a nod and the children were put down, Teddy, Amelia and Junior running over to them and Andy being a little slower as he ran to them on unsteady feet. Hermione and Derek both knelt down on the ground and they were surrounded as their children hugged them tightly.

Teddy grinned at Hermione before he pulled something out of his pocket and held it in his palm, opening the black velvet box and revealing an engagement ring. She blinked when she saw it and Derek took the ring from the box, lifted her left hand and slipped it onto her finger.

To Hermione, the ring was beautiful because it was simple and Derek understood that she wasn’t a materialist person, and although he could afford to buy her any ring she could ever want, he had gone simple knowing Hermione and that it would be what she wanted. Ron’s ring to her had been simple, not because it was what she preferred, but because he hadn’t bothered to put in any effort. He’d chosen the first ring he’d seen, and she knew Derek had done the opposite.

And while the ring he’d bought her might’ve been one of the cheaper options available, she also knew that it still would’ve cost quite a bit. Derek loved to spoil her and the quality of the ring looked too good to be cheap. In the centre of the white gold band sat a single round diamond, not too big and not too small. The band itself was embedded with tiny diamonds and it covered half of the band.

“It’s perfect,” she whispered, her tears still falling down her face.

She chuckled when Andy pushed his way through his gathered siblings, climbed onto her lap and placed a sloppy kiss to her cheek. Andy was a mummy’s boy, just like Amelia was a daddy’s girl. She had Derek wrapped around her little finger, and she wasn’t much better with Scott, Stiles or Liam.

Derek let out a sigh of relief and she rolled her eyes at him, as if she wouldn’t love anything he gave her. He knew her too well to buy her something she would hate.

When Hermione and Derek stood, the others approached them and hugs and congratulations were exchanged, as were tears between Hermione and Melissa.

“We’re getting married,” Hermione said, after finding herself back in Derek’s arms.

“We’re getting married,” he smiled down at her, pushing her curls back from her face and over her shoulder. “And I have something for you,” he said.

She frowned in confusion when he walked over to several picnic blankets that were laid out on the ground and the picnic baskets that she hadn’t noticed. He dug into a basket, pulled something out and hid it behind his back as he approached her.

She raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled at her before showing her what he’d brought her. She looked at it in confusion.

A chocolate milkshake.

All chatter quieted down and they stared between Hermione and Derek, smiles pulling at their faces when understanding hit them and they shared looks of amusement. Hermione’s main craving during all of her pregnancies had been chocolate milkshakes, but after drinking so much of it, she had stayed far away from the stuff when the pregnancies were over.

“You’re going to need this,” Derek smiled down at her.

“Why?” She frowned, taking it from him.

His eyes flashed the beautiful blue that she loved so much. “You’re pregnant.”

“Excuse me,” she blurted out in surprise.

His eyes flashed again and his smile widened. “You’re pregnant,” he said, tapping his nose. “I can smell it; I picked up on the change in your scent this morning.”

“I’m pregnant?”

“You’re pregnant.”

“Oh, bloody hell! I don’t believe you! Your bloody super sperm’s done it again!” She cried, reaching out to slap at his arm. “I swear, if it’s twins, you won’t live to see the wedding.”

“Then we should probably elope before we get to that point in your pregnancy,” he replied.

She scowled at him as he pulled her back into a hug, hearing the chuckles of the others. When she pulled away from him, they were congratulated again before they all made their way to the picnic blankets and sat down, eating their food and chatting and laughing between each other whilst the boys kept their eyes on the younger children.

From her place sat in-between Derek’s legs, Hermione reclined back against Derek’s chest and his arms moved to wrap around her, his hands resting against her stomach and he placed a kiss to her neck, all without turning away from his conversation with the sheriff.

Hermione looked around the group, her pack, and a content smile pulled at her face.

Blood was thicker than water, but nothing could break a pack apart.

Wolf blood was the strongest in existence and Hermione was thankful for the blessings it had brought her.

Love. Life. Happiness. Laughter, but most importantly, it had given her Derek and a pack. 

______________________________________

Te amo, es tan simple como eso. Estos últimos años contigo han sido los más felices de mi vida y sé que solo puede mejorar si te tengo a mi lado. Eres una mujer increíble y una madre amorosa, y sé que no soy la persona más fácil para vivir y te amo más por aguantarme. Creo que es hora de convertirte en una mujer honesta, y quiero que todos sepan cuánto te quiero. Entonces, Hermione Granger, ¿te casarás conmigo?

Loosely translates to –

I love you, it’s as simple as that. These last few years with you have been the happiest of my life and I know it can only get better if I have you by my side. You’re an amazing woman, a loving mother, and I know I’m not the easiest person to live with and I love you all the more for putting up with me. I think it’s about time I made an honest woman of you, and I want to show everyone how much I love you. So, Hermione Granger, will you marry me?

Sí, me casaré contigo, bestia peluda demasiado grande.

Loosely translates to -

Yes, I’ll marry you, you overgrown furry beast.


End file.
